Iron Mountain
S&P 500
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 | $472.95M | $-479.98M | $19.86M | $361.92M |
| FY2015 | $541.76M | $-456.65M | $-108.51M | $290.25M |
| FY2016 | $543.90M | $-535.99M | $125.37M | $328.60M |
| FY2017 | $720.97M | $-599.45M | $540.43M | $343.13M |
| FY2018 | $935.55M | $-2.22B | $550.68M | $460.06M |
| FY2019 | $966.66M | $-730.89M | $-198.97M | $692.98M |
| FY2020 | $987.66M | $-85.44M | $-886.70M | $438.26M |
| FY2021 | $758.90M | $-473.31M | $-220.81M | $611.08M |
| FY2022 | $927.70M | $-1.66B | $639.21M | $875.38M |
| FY2023 | $1.11B | $-1.44B | $425.67M | $1.34B |
| FY2024 | $1.20B | $-2.14B | $876.75M | $1.79B |
| FY2025 | $1.34B | $-2.57B | $1.27B | $2.27B |
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.