MSA Safety
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 | $107.03M | $-30.70M | $-58.12M | $33.58M |
| FY2015 | $55.25M | $-208.49M | $164.95M | $36.24M |
| FY2016 | $134.89M | $-25.47M | $-99.35M | $25.52M |
| FY2017 | $230.34M | $-239.20M | $25.60M | $23.73M |
| FY2018 | $263.89M | $-84.40M | $-163.27M | $33.96M |
| FY2019 | $164.96M | $-64.16M | $-84.62M | $36.60M |
| FY2020 | $206.56M | $-72.77M | $-126.53M | $48.91M |
| FY2021 | $199.15M | $-415.47M | $203.93M | $43.84M |
| FY2022 | $157.46M | $-4.48M | $-113.35M | $42.55M |
| FY2023 | $92.86M | $-39.95M | $-52.25M | $42.76M |
| FY2024 | $296.43M | $-53.76M | $-208.69M | $54.22M |
| FY2025 | $363.87M | $-257.63M | $-105.47M | $68.44M |
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.