Mercury General
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $246.54M | $-194.04M | $-29.10M | $26.04M |
| FY2015 | $190.27M | $-81.68M | $-134.28M | $20.11M |
| FY2016 | $291.68M | $-226.72M | $-108.86M | $16.98M |
| FY2017 | $341.41M | $-185.60M | $-84.71M | $19.44M |
| FY2018 | $383.43M | $-222.44M | $-138.12M | $27.96M |
| FY2019 | $519.68M | $-401.20M | $-138.37M | $40.09M |
| FY2020 | $605.62M | $-411.29M | $-140.25M | $39.95M |
| FY2021 | $501.58M | $-373.67M | $-140.84M | $41.44M |
| FY2022 | $352.59M | $-316.38M | $-81.99M | $35.51M |
| FY2023 | $453.00M | $-295.45M | $103.58M | $36.81M |
| FY2024 | $1.04B | $-796.66M | $-71.11M | $46.14M |
| FY2025 | $1.09B | $-420.16M | $-71.72M | $58.43M |
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.