General Motors
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 | $10.06B | $-15.36B | $5.68B | $7.09B |
| FY2015 | $11.77B | $-27.71B | $13.61B | $6.81B |
| FY2016 | $16.61B | $-35.64B | $17.08B | $8.38B |
| FY2017 | $17.33B | $-27.57B | $12.58B | $8.45B |
| FY2018 | $15.26B | $-20.76B | $11.45B | $8.76B |
| FY2019 | $15.02B | $-10.90B | $-4.68B | $7.59B |
| FY2020 | $16.67B | $-21.83B | $5.55B | $5.30B |
| FY2021 | $15.19B | $-16.36B | $1.74B | $7.51B |
| FY2022 | $16.04B | $-17.88B | $383.00M | $9.24B |
| FY2023 | $20.93B | $-14.66B | $-6.35B | $10.97B |
| FY2024 | $20.13B | $-20.52B | $1.94B | $10.83B |
| FY2025 | $26.87B | $-16.13B | $-9.59B | $9.30B |
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.