H&R Block
S&P 400
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $626.61M | $-148.93M | $-645.81M | $123.16M |
| FY2016 | $544.55M | $329.52M | $-1.96B | $99.92M |
| FY2017 | $552.20M | $99.32M | $-530.42M | $89.26M |
| FY2018 | $850.00M | $-112.06M | $-190.66M | $98.58M |
| FY2019 | $606.54M | $-155.13M | $-403.70M | $95.49M |
| FY2020 | $108.96M | $-470.23M | $1.53B | $81.69M |
| FY2021 | $625.93M | $-45.52M | $-2.41B | $52.79M |
| FY2022 | $808.54M | $-76.54M | $-1.26B | $61.96M |
| FY2023 | $821.84M | $-101.39M | $-750.99M | $69.70M |
| FY2024 | $720.86M | $-93.86M | $-564.31M | $63.68M |
| FY2025 | $680.88M | $-105.37M | $-647.44M | $82.03M |
| FY2026 | $838.70M | $-124.81M | $-734.22M | $82.61M |
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.