MSCI Inc.
S&P 500
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 | $305.67M | $297.04M | $-442.33M | $42.66M |
| FY2015 | $321.25M | $-48.86M | $4.70M | $40.65M |
| FY2016 | $442.36M | $-42.03M | $-372.90M | $32.28M |
| FY2017 | $404.16M | $-48.05M | $-267.54M | $33.18M |
| FY2018 | $612.76M | $34.87M | $-626.48M | $30.26M |
| FY2019 | $709.52M | $-71.94M | $-36.67M | $29.12M |
| FY2020 | $811.11M | $-241.79M | $-779.04M | $21.83M |
| FY2021 | $936.07M | $-1.04B | $229.51M | $13.51M |
| FY2022 | $1.10B | $-79.34M | $-1.43B | $13.62M |
| FY2023 | $1.24B | $-819.38M | $-953.93M | $22.76M |
| FY2024 | $1.50B | $-144.26M | $-1.40B | $33.76M |
| FY2025 | $1.59B | $-130.06M | $-1.36B | $39.32M |
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.