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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 | $29.67B | $-23.00B | $-9.67B | $5.94B |
| FY2016 | $33.33B | $-23.95B | $-8.39B | $8.34B |
| FY2017 | $39.51B | $-46.78B | $8.41B | $8.13B |
| FY2018 | $43.88B | $-6.06B | $-33.59B | $11.63B |
| FY2019 | $52.19B | $-15.77B | $-36.89B | $13.93B |
| FY2020 | $60.68B | $-12.22B | $-46.03B | $15.44B |
| FY2021 | $76.74B | $-27.58B | $-48.49B | $20.62B |
| FY2022 | $89.04B | $-30.31B | $-58.88B | $23.89B |
| FY2023 | $87.58B | $-22.68B | $-43.94B | $28.11B |
| FY2024 | $118.55B | $-96.97B | $-37.76B | $44.48B |
| FY2025 | $136.16B | $-72.60B | $-51.70B | $64.55B |
| FY2026 | $182.94B | $-139.50B | $-52.55B | $115.95B |
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.