CarMax, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $-968.13M | $-360.74M | $728.58M | $309.82M |
| FY2016 | $-116.76M | $-378.80M | $505.34M | $315.58M |
| FY2017 | $-455.31M | $-419.96M | $921.91M | $418.14M |
| FY2018 | $-80.55M | $-301.86M | $413.45M | $296.82M |
| FY2019 | $162.97M | $-308.51M | $186.02M | $304.64M |
| FY2020 | $-236.61M | $-389.36M | $686.98M | $331.90M |
| FY2021 | $667.76M | $-128.18M | $-424.02M | $164.54M |
| FY2022 | $-2.55B | $-523.75M | $3.10B | $308.53M |
| FY2023 | $1.28B | $-425.77M | $-710.18M | $422.71M |
| FY2024 | $458.62M | $-467.00M | $307.79M | $465.31M |
| FY2025 | $624.44M | $-461.00M | $-453.54M | $467.94M |
| FY2026 | $1.78B | $-540.05M | $-1.34B | $540.99M |
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.