Insteel Industries, 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 | $29.23M | $-40.38M | $-1.25M | $8.96M |
| FY2015 | $35.77M | $-3.04M | $-2.53M | $7.15M |
| FY2016 | $56.25M | $-12.97M | $-17.67M | $12.98M |
| FY2017 | $20.84M | $-20.88M | $-26.73M | $20.58M |
| FY2018 | $53.97M | $-21.94M | $-20.19M | $18.45M |
| FY2019 | $6.61M | $-9.56M | $-2.81M | $10.51M |
| FY2020 | $56.22M | $-23.17M | $-2.54M | $7.11M |
| FY2021 | $69.88M | $-17.81M | $-30.88M | $17.50M |
| FY2022 | $5.67M | $-6.04M | $-41.20M | $15.90M |
| FY2023 | $142.20M | $-20.90M | $-43.95M | $30.70M |
| FY2024 | $58.21M | $-19.64M | $-52.70M | $19.15M |
| FY2025 | $27.16M | $-75.67M | $-24.40M | $8.21M |
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.