MSC Industrial Direct
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 | $272.41M | $-94.21M | $-187.04M | $70.62M |
| FY2015 | $249.79M | $-51.41M | $-207.05M | $51.41M |
| FY2016 | $401.10M | $-87.93M | $-298.37M | $87.93M |
| FY2017 | $246.84M | $-88.89M | $-194.75M | $46.55M |
| FY2018 | $339.66M | $-131.92M | $-177.59M | $44.92M |
| FY2019 | $328.43M | $-36.37M | $-305.63M | $51.77M |
| FY2020 | $396.74M | $-49.28M | $-254.62M | $46.99M |
| FY2021 | $224.46M | $-75.75M | $-233.75M | $53.75M |
| FY2022 | $246.18M | $-94.49M | $-148.14M | $61.37M |
| FY2023 | $699.58M | $-112.68M | $-580.40M | $92.49M |
| FY2024 | $410.70M | $-123.40M | $-307.35M | $99.41M |
| FY2025 | $333.72M | $-63.29M | $-243.57M | $92.84M |
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.