IPG Photonics
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $180.11M | $-90.08M | $11.53M | $88.60M |
| FY2015 | $263.48M | $-181.57M | $-1.54M | $70.12M |
| FY2016 | $297.70M | $-274.41M | $27.44M | $127.04M |
| FY2017 | $405.40M | $-170.81M | $-3.37M | $126.54M |
| FY2018 | $393.30M | $-563.00M | $-166.65M | $160.34M |
| FY2019 | $323.52M | $-139.98M | $-37.07M | $133.54M |
| FY2020 | $285.34M | $-99.57M | $-10.08M | $87.70M |
| FY2021 | $389.70M | $-416.28M | $-125.07M | $123.11M |
| FY2022 | $212.65M | $296.95M | $-514.55M | $110.14M |
| FY2023 | $295.99M | $-237.55M | $-236.38M | $110.48M |
| FY2024 | $247.90M | $208.73M | $-339.62M | $98.52M |
| FY2025 | $75.34M | $-265.23M | $-54.19M | $78.80M |
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.