Heartland Express, Inc.
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 | $172.45M | $-115.48M | $-57.43M | $204.97M |
| FY2015 | $190.47M | $-67.21M | $-107.33M | $217.25M |
| FY2016 | $155.78M | $-28.81M | $-21.34M | $86.09M |
| FY2017 | $109.54M | $-123.50M | $-30.17M | $184.11M |
| FY2018 | $146.54M | $-37.81M | $-31.89M | $169.28M |
| FY2019 | $146.37M | $-132.79M | $-100.44M | $163.78M |
| FY2020 | $178.85M | $-111.05M | $-32.74M | $204.34M |
| FY2021 | $123.42M | $-2.65M | $-78.14M | $132.64M |
| FY2022 | $194.71M | $-663.26M | $359.26M | $160.57M |
| FY2023 | $165.27M | $-67.87M | $-120.69M | $208.60M |
| FY2024 | $144.35M | $-46.54M | $-112.71M | $109.54M |
| FY2025 | $89.31M | $-26.00M | $-58.15M | $156.17M |
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.