Gartner
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $346.78M | $-162.78M | $-208.67M |
| FY2015 | $345.56M | $-242.36M | $-67.69M |
| FY2016 | $365.63M | $-98.06M | $-174.69M |
| FY2017 | $254.52M | $-2.75B | $2.54B |
| FY2018 | $471.16M | $384.05M | $-1.26B |
| FY2019 | $565.44M | $-160.89M | $-285.99M |
| FY2020 | $903.28M | $-83.89M | $-416.22M |
| FY2021 | $1.31B | $-80.47M | $-1.16B |
| FY2022 | $1.10B | $-117.56M | $-1.03B |
| FY2023 | $1.16B | $54.16M | $-588.88M |
| FY2024 | $1.48B | $-103.74M | $-710.14M |
| FY2025 | $1.29B | $-115.14M | $-1.44B |
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.