MKS Instruments
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 | $101.91M | $-24.81M | $-52.72M | $13.18M |
| FY2015 | $138.30M | $-167.37M | $-47.10M | $12.41M |
| FY2016 | $180.10M | $-726.99M | $560.12M | $19.12M |
| FY2017 | $355.22M | $22.64M | $-279.70M | $31.29M |
| FY2018 | $413.80M | $72.70M | $-178.00M | $62.90M |
| FY2019 | $244.50M | $-947.20M | $476.20M | $63.90M |
| FY2020 | $513.00M | $-202.00M | $-122.00M | $85.00M |
| FY2021 | $640.00M | $-205.00M | $-65.00M | $87.00M |
| FY2022 | $529.00M | $-4.55B | $3.97B | $164.00M |
| FY2023 | $319.00M | $-84.00M | $-259.00M | $87.00M |
| FY2024 | $528.00M | $-117.00M | $-549.00M | $118.00M |
| FY2025 | $645.00M | $-145.00M | $-562.00M | $148.00M |
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.