Flowers Foods
S&P 600
Cash Flow
Cash Flow Breakdown
Figures in US$OperatingInvestingFinancing
How to read this: the three bars show where cash moved each year. Operating is cash from the core business (you generally want this positive and growing). Investing is usually negative — money spent on assets or acquisitions. Financing shows money raised from, or returned to, lenders and shareholders. Bars above the line are cash in; bars below are cash out.
Operating Cash Flow vs Capex
Figures in US$Operating Cash FlowCapital Expenditure
How to read this: operating cash flow is the cash the business generated; capital expenditure is what it spent on long-term assets like plant and equipment. The gap between them is roughly free cash flow — the cash left over. A wide gap (operating well above capex) means the business funds its investment comfortably from its own earnings.
| Period | Operating Cash Flow | Investing Cash Flow | Financing Cash Flow | Capital Expenditure |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2012 | $216.88M | $-385.44M | $174.05M | $67.26M |
| FY2013 | $270.48M | $-502.89M | $227.66M | $99.18M |
| FY2015 | $315.18M | $-34.53M | $-281.66M | $83.78M |
| FY2016 | $356.56M | $-76.71M | $-287.82M | $101.73M |
| FY2017 | $297.39M | $-35.40M | $-263.28M | $75.23M |
| FY2018 | $295.89M | $-301.81M | $26.09M | $99.42M |
| FY2019 | $366.95M | $-97.09M | $-284.12M | $103.69M |
| FY2021 | $454.46M | $-73.99M | $-84.04M | $97.93M |
| FY2022 | $360.89M | $-151.09M | $-222.17M | $169.07M |
| FY2023 | $349.35M | $-403.81M | $-88.15M | $129.08M |
| FY2024 | $412.66M | $-172.67M | $-257.52M | $132.09M |
| FY2026 | $446.20M | $-943.16M | $504.05M | $127.11M |
Figures in USD. Educational data only.
Understanding these terms
Plain-English explanations of each figure in the table above, and what a beginner typically looks at. These are educational descriptions only, not advice.
- Operating Cash Flow
- Cash produced by the company's core operations during the period. The US equivalent of "Cash from Operating Activity".How a beginner reads it: A beginner uses this as a reality check on profit, since it reflects cash actually collected. Healthy, consistent operating cash flow underpins a company's ability to invest and repay debt.
- Investing Cash Flow
- Cash used for or generated by buying and selling long-term assets and investments. The US equivalent of "Cash from Investing Activity".How a beginner reads it: A beginner expects this to be negative for companies investing in growth. Reading it next to operating cash flow shows whether the business funds its investments from its own earnings.
- Financing Cash Flow
- Cash flows with lenders and shareholders — borrowing, repaying, issuing shares, buybacks, and dividends. The US equivalent of "Cash from Financing Activity".How a beginner reads it: A beginner reads this to understand whether the company is taking in money (borrowing/issuing) or paying it out (repaying/dividends), and how that fits the operating picture.
- Capital Expenditure
- Money spent on buying or upgrading long-lived assets like plant, equipment, and buildings. Often shortened to "capex".How a beginner reads it: A beginner reads capex against operating cash flow to see whether a company funds its investment from its own earnings. Operating cash flow minus capex is roughly free cash flow.