Mercury Systems
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 | $32.21M | $-5.60M | $3.91M | $5.98M |
| FY2016 | $36.94M | $-318.21M | $284.89M | $7.89M |
| FY2017 | $59.15M | $-111.09M | $11.34M | $32.84M |
| FY2018 | $43.32M | $-200.88M | $182.94M | $15.11M |
| FY2019 | $97.52M | $-153.77M | $247.77M | $26.69M |
| FY2020 | $115.18M | $-135.49M | $-10.93M | $43.29M |
| FY2021 | $97.25M | $-416.89M | $206.23M | $45.60M |
| FY2022 | $-18.87M | $-274.32M | $245.75M | $27.66M |
| FY2023 | $-21.25M | $-38.56M | $65.43M | $38.80M |
| FY2024 | $60.38M | $-34.29M | $82.68M | $34.29M |
| FY2025 | $138.85M | $-13.50M | $1.41M | $19.80M |
| FY2026 | $102.39M | $-35.72M | $-162.74M | $34.30M |
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.