Onto Innovation
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2013 | $-2.43M | $-7.78M | $-7.50M | $5.69M |
| FY2014 | $-635.00K | $-8.05M | $-675.00K | $5.79M |
| FY2015 | $1.57M | $1.95M | $220.00K | $1.85M |
| FY2016 | $45.69M | $-42.13M | $5.27M | $4.00M |
| FY2017 | $64.17M | $-32.52M | $-2.55M | $10.21M |
| FY2018 | $35.09M | $33.77M | $-23.91M | $7.54M |
| FY2019 | $18.15M | $4.10M | $-4.20M | $6.80M |
| FY2020 | $105.98M | $48.60M | $-53.70M | $3.83M |
| FY2022 | $136.70M | $-55.69M | $-68.35M | $18.41M |
| FY2023 | $171.97M | $-103.39M | $-9.48M | $22.57M |
| FY2024 | $245.68M | $-226.55M | $-35.67M | $31.90M |
| FY2026 | $328.32M | $-121.57M | $-75.15M | $28.51M |
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.