PulteGroup
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 | $307.88M | $-122.61M | $-529.09M | $48.79M |
| FY2015 | $-337.59M | $-34.56M | $-161.63M | $45.44M |
| FY2016 | $68.27M | $-471.19M | $350.74M | $39.30M |
| FY2017 | $663.08M | $-50.24M | $-1.03B | $32.05M |
| FY2018 | $1.45B | $-40.48M | $-580.27M | $59.04M |
| FY2019 | $1.08B | $-224.69M | $-733.56M | $58.12M |
| FY2020 | $1.78B | $-107.95M | $-295.62M | $58.35M |
| FY2021 | $1.00B | $-124.13M | $-1.68B | $72.78M |
| FY2022 | $668.47M | $-171.74M | $-1.24B | $112.66M |
| FY2023 | $2.20B | $-129.10M | $-1.31B | $92.20M |
| FY2024 | $1.68B | $-94.48M | $-1.78B | $118.55M |
| FY2025 | $1.87B | $-80.42M | $-1.44B | $122.72M |
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.