Otter Tail 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 | $112.47M | $-164.50M | $50.86M | $163.58M |
| FY2015 | $117.54M | $-155.97M | $38.43M | $160.08M |
| FY2016 | $163.39M | $-159.32M | $-4.06M | $161.26M |
| FY2017 | $173.58M | $-132.59M | $-24.77M | $132.91M |
| FY2018 | $143.45M | $-107.42M | $-51.38M | $105.43M |
| FY2019 | $185.04M | $-209.47M | $44.77M | $207.37M |
| FY2020 | $211.92M | $-375.65M | $143.70M | $371.55M |
| FY2021 | $231.24M | $-171.51M | $-59.36M | $171.83M |
| FY2022 | $389.31M | $-175.07M | $-96.78M | $171.13M |
| FY2023 | $404.50M | $-289.29M | $-3.84M | $287.13M |
| FY2024 | $452.73M | $-411.37M | $22.92M | $358.65M |
| FY2025 | $385.99M | $-290.72M | $-3.72M | $288.07M |
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.