Norfolk Southern
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 | $2.85B | $-2.00B | $-1.32B | $2.12B |
| FY2015 | $2.91B | $-2.09B | $-693.00M | $2.39B |
| FY2016 | $3.03B | $-1.83B | $-1.35B | $1.89B |
| FY2017 | $3.25B | $-1.48B | $-2.04B | $1.72B |
| FY2018 | $3.73B | $-1.66B | $-2.31B | $1.95B |
| FY2019 | $3.89B | $-1.76B | $-1.99B | $2.02B |
| FY2020 | $3.64B | $-1.18B | $-1.93B | $1.49B |
| FY2021 | $4.26B | $-1.22B | $-3.31B | $1.47B |
| FY2022 | $4.22B | $-1.60B | $-3.00B | $1.95B |
| FY2023 | $3.18B | $-2.18B | $115.00M | $2.33B |
| FY2024 | $4.05B | $-2.78B | $-1.20B | $2.38B |
| FY2025 | $4.36B | $-2.56B | $-1.91B | $2.20B |
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.