Iridium Communications
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 | $214.87M | $-626.25M | $438.84M | $441.07M |
| FY2015 | $217.48M | $-439.37M | $202.08M | $494.81M |
| FY2016 | $225.20M | $-242.36M | $224.18M | $405.69M |
| FY2017 | $259.62M | $-372.68M | $16.87M | $400.11M |
| FY2018 | $263.71M | $-378.91M | $193.50M | $391.39M |
| FY2019 | $198.14M | $-127.82M | $-313.28M | $117.82M |
| FY2020 | $249.77M | $-46.47M | $-188.19M | $38.69M |
| FY2021 | $302.87M | $-36.38M | $-182.47M | $42.15M |
| FY2022 | $344.73M | $-121.27M | $-374.98M | $71.27M |
| FY2023 | $314.91M | $-83.49M | $-327.05M | $73.49M |
| FY2024 | $375.96M | $-180.60M | $-170.48M | $69.89M |
| FY2025 | $400.07M | $-100.28M | $-299.91M | $100.28M |
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.