Lamar Advertising Company
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 | $452.53M | $-164.00M | $-294.32M | $107.57M |
| FY2015 | $477.65M | $-253.88M | $-224.81M | $110.43M |
| FY2016 | $521.82M | $-680.98M | $171.91M | $107.61M |
| FY2017 | $507.02M | $-400.07M | $-28.64M | $109.33M |
| FY2018 | $564.85M | $-584.15M | $-73.56M | $117.64M |
| FY2019 | $630.87M | $-362.03M | $-264.36M | $140.96M |
| FY2020 | $569.87M | $-96.89M | $-377.92M | $62.27M |
| FY2021 | $734.42M | $-461.76M | $-294.52M | $126.09M |
| FY2022 | $781.61M | $-619.07M | $-209.32M | $167.08M |
| FY2023 | $783.61M | $-310.12M | $-481.64M | $178.27M |
| FY2024 | $873.61M | $-164.91M | $-703.43M | $125.28M |
| FY2025 | $864.05M | $-244.63M | $-604.32M | $180.80M |
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.