Pool Corporation
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 | $121.82M | $-27.81M | $-81.98M | $17.33M |
| FY2015 | $146.05M | $-37.79M | $-107.80M | $29.10M |
| FY2016 | $165.38M | $-55.64M | $-99.67M | $34.35M |
| FY2017 | $175.31M | $-52.22M | $-114.45M | $39.39M |
| FY2018 | $118.66M | $-34.16M | $-97.57M | $31.58M |
| FY2019 | $298.78M | $-42.26M | $-244.49M | $33.36M |
| FY2020 | $397.58M | $-146.29M | $-244.37M | $21.70M |
| FY2021 | $313.49M | $-849.61M | $526.13M | $37.66M |
| FY2022 | $484.85M | $-50.87M | $-411.66M | $43.62M |
| FY2023 | $888.23M | $-71.60M | $-798.13M | $60.10M |
| FY2024 | $659.19M | $-66.17M | $-576.55M | $59.48M |
| FY2025 | $365.85M | $-67.79M | $-273.38M | $56.33M |
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.