H.B. Fuller Company
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $29.73M | $-160.02M | $54.96M | $139.79M |
| FY2015 | $210.53M | $-258.82M | $104.22M | $58.62M |
| FY2016 | $195.69M | $-111.53M | $-52.59M | $63.31M |
| FY2017 | $166.33M | $-1.80B | $1.68B | $54.93M |
| FY2018 | $253.31M | $-61.84M | $-228.60M | $68.26M |
| FY2019 | $269.18M | $7.41M | $-315.05M | $61.98M |
| FY2020 | $331.56M | $-109.46M | $-239.21M | $87.29M |
| FY2021 | $213.32M | $-94.66M | $-154.07M | $96.09M |
| FY2022 | $256.51M | $-375.29M | $160.32M | $129.96M |
| FY2023 | $378.40M | $-319.20M | $35.14M | $119.14M |
| FY2024 | $302.44M | $-407.08M | $112.09M | $139.24M |
| FY2025 | $263.49M | $-232.25M | $-107.90M | $142.28M |
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.