Quanex Building Products Corporation
S&P 600
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 | $20.78M | $74.12M | $-24.46M | $33.78M |
| FY2015 | $67.09M | $-160.14M | $-4.58M | $29.98M |
| FY2016 | $87.34M | $-282.10M | $195.45M | $37.24M |
| FY2017 | $79.78M | $-32.63M | $-55.13M | $34.56M |
| FY2018 | $104.61M | $-26.05M | $-65.82M | $26.48M |
| FY2019 | $96.37M | $-23.56M | $-71.26M | $24.88M |
| FY2020 | $100.80M | $-25.22M | $-55.12M | $25.73M |
| FY2021 | $78.59M | $-18.71M | $-71.86M | $24.01M |
| FY2022 | $97.97M | $-32.96M | $-45.88M | $33.12M |
| FY2023 | $147.05M | $-128.44M | $-16.15M | $37.39M |
| FY2024 | $88.81M | $-420.59M | $385.16M | $37.09M |
| FY2025 | $164.90M | $-62.01M | $-127.48M | $62.64M |
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.