Littelfuse
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2012 | $116.17M | $-51.69M | $750.00K | $22.53M |
| FY2013 | $117.37M | $-185.59M | $142.23M | $34.95M |
| FY2014 | $153.14M | $-103.99M | $-43.25M | $32.28M |
| FY2016 | $180.13M | $-511.24M | $284.20M | $46.23M |
| FY2017 | $269.17M | $-96.14M | $-24.68M | $65.93M |
| FY2018 | $331.83M | $-382.25M | $121.90M | $74.75M |
| FY2019 | $245.33M | $-56.46M | $-146.28M | $61.90M |
| FY2020 | $258.03M | $-51.43M | $-67.81M | $56.19M |
| FY2022 | $419.72M | $-636.40M | $310.20M | $104.34M |
| FY2023 | $457.39M | $-284.32M | $-185.73M | $86.19M |
| FY2024 | $367.62M | $-65.78M | $-112.44M | $75.88M |
| FY2025 | $433.76M | $-468.86M | $-149.27M | $67.64M |
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.