Generac
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 | $252.99M | $-95.49M | $-116.02M | $34.69M |
| FY2015 | $188.62M | $-104.33M | $-154.48M | $30.65M |
| FY2016 | $241.12M | $-93.54M | $-195.71M | $30.47M |
| FY2017 | $257.32M | $-28.13M | $-160.14M | $33.26M |
| FY2018 | $247.23M | $-108.89M | $-52.03M | $47.60M |
| FY2019 | $308.89M | $-170.08M | $-41.92M | $60.80M |
| FY2020 | $486.53M | $-124.10M | $-30.43M | $62.13M |
| FY2021 | $411.16M | $-817.29M | $-102.97M | $109.99M |
| FY2022 | $58.52M | $-134.23M | $64.04M | $86.19M |
| FY2023 | $521.67M | $-178.06M | $-277.14M | $129.06M |
| FY2024 | $741.30M | $-208.71M | $-448.84M | $136.73M |
| FY2025 | $437.98M | $-172.90M | $-212.72M | $169.85M |
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.