IBM
S&P 500
Dow Jones
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 | $16.87B | $-3.00B | $-15.45B | $3.74B |
| FY2015 | $17.26B | $-8.16B | $-9.41B | $3.58B |
| FY2016 | $17.08B | $-10.93B | $-5.92B | $3.57B |
| FY2017 | $16.72B | $-7.08B | $-6.42B | $3.23B |
| FY2018 | $15.25B | $-4.91B | $-10.47B | $3.40B |
| FY2019 | $14.77B | $-26.94B | $9.04B | $2.29B |
| FY2020 | $18.20B | $-3.03B | $-9.72B | $2.62B |
| FY2021 | $12.80B | $-5.98B | $-13.35B | $2.06B |
| FY2022 | $10.44B | $-4.20B | $-4.96B | $1.35B |
| FY2023 | $13.93B | $-7.07B | $-1.77B | $1.25B |
| FY2024 | $13.45B | $-4.94B | $-7.08B | $1.05B |
| FY2025 | $13.19B | $-10.30B | $-3.83B | $1.09B |
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.