QuinStreet, 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $6.13M | $33.27M | $-63.12M | $3.35M |
| FY2016 | $1.02M | $-5.20M | $-2.50M | $1.86M |
| FY2017 | $18.54M | $-3.37M | $-18.51M | $1.16M |
| FY2018 | $26.98M | $-15.85M | $3.89M | $610.00K |
| FY2019 | $37.97M | $-36.99M | $-4.05M | $1.97M |
| FY2020 | $47.61M | $8.87M | $-11.63M | $1.96M |
| FY2021 | $50.62M | $-36.46M | $-11.31M | $1.97M |
| FY2022 | $28.67M | $-9.23M | $-33.32M | $2.84M |
| FY2023 | $11.84M | $-15.13M | $-19.46M | $3.06M |
| FY2024 | $12.04M | $-22.74M | $-12.51M | $5.35M |
| FY2025 | $84.98M | $-11.44M | $-23.00M | $2.07M |
| FY2026 | $131.30M | $-118.58M | $14.54M | $3.40M |
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.