Fortive
S&P 500
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $946.70M | $-291.10M | $-655.60M | $102.60M |
| FY2015 | $1.01B | $-174.10M | $-834.90M | $120.10M |
| FY2016 | $1.14B | $-310.80M | $3.80M | $110.10M |
| FY2017 | $1.18B | $-1.67B | $599.70M | $111.10M |
| FY2018 | $1.34B | $-1.97B | $879.10M | $69.90M |
| FY2019 | $1.27B | $-4.05B | $2.80B | $74.50M |
| FY2020 | $1.44B | $-148.40M | $-696.10M | $75.70M |
| FY2021 | $961.10M | $-2.62B | $652.00M | $50.00M |
| FY2022 | $1.30B | $-102.50M | $-1.27B | $95.80M |
| FY2023 | $1.35B | $-195.40M | $32.30M | $78.60M |
| FY2024 | $1.53B | $-1.80B | $-792.70M | $86.10M |
| FY2025 | $1.08B | $-135.40M | $-1.39B | $105.10M |
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.