Mettler Toledo
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 | $418.91M | $-94.32M | $-348.23M | $89.39M |
| FY2015 | $439.80M | $-100.75M | $-319.96M | $82.51M |
| FY2016 | $460.76M | $-231.46M | $-163.61M | $123.96M |
| FY2017 | $516.33M | $-217.34M | $-319.53M | $127.43M |
| FY2018 | $565.01M | $-138.94M | $-388.02M | $142.73M |
| FY2019 | $603.45M | $-99.08M | $-477.37M | $97.34M |
| FY2020 | $724.70M | $-100.36M | $-743.91M | $92.49M |
| FY2021 | $908.83M | $-314.11M | $-590.55M | $107.58M |
| FY2022 | $859.07M | $-139.40M | $-716.04M | $121.24M |
| FY2023 | $965.87M | $-131.69M | $-859.59M | $105.32M |
| FY2024 | $968.35M | $-119.46M | $-855.98M | $103.90M |
| FY2025 | $955.77M | $-193.87M | $-755.17M | $107.12M |
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.