Powell Industries, Inc.
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 | $9.13M | $-1.56M | $-12.51M | $16.50M |
| FY2015 | $12.92M | $-34.61M | $-34.95M | $34.72M |
| FY2016 | $74.91M | $-2.86M | $-17.37M | $3.04M |
| FY2017 | $36.82M | $-30.45M | $-12.67M | $3.62M |
| FY2018 | $-28.54M | $10.43M | $-13.03M | $4.42M |
| FY2019 | $68.76M | $2.96M | $-13.85M | $4.26M |
| FY2020 | $72.39M | $-17.54M | $-13.10M | $5.16M |
| FY2021 | $-30.46M | $-2.46M | $-13.17M | $2.93M |
| FY2022 | $-3.58M | $6.47M | $-13.31M | $2.45M |
| FY2023 | $182.55M | $-26.57M | $-13.06M | $7.82M |
| FY2024 | $108.66M | $-21.87M | $-19.25M | $11.98M |
| FY2025 | $167.94M | $-8.34M | $-25.12M | $13.15M |
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.