Patterson-UTI Energy, 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 | $728.73M | $-1.20B | $260.73M | $1.05B |
| FY2015 | $999.44M | $-722.96M | $-199.26M | $743.78M |
| FY2016 | $305.03M | $-97.76M | $-285.28M | $119.80M |
| FY2017 | $300.71M | $-1.01B | $716.57M | $567.09M |
| FY2018 | $730.67M | $-584.55M | $56.86M | $641.46M |
| FY2019 | $696.20M | $-301.76M | $-465.22M | $347.51M |
| FY2020 | $278.86M | $-124.98M | $-103.15M | $145.48M |
| FY2021 | $95.50M | $-131.59M | $-71.93M | $166.32M |
| FY2022 | $566.19M | $-413.23M | $-133.38M | $436.80M |
| FY2023 | $1.01B | $-1.02B | $65.57M | $615.69M |
| FY2024 | $1.18B | $-654.74M | $-474.99M | $678.39M |
| FY2025 | $961.22M | $-567.15M | $-210.73M | $589.03M |
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.