Robert Half
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 | $340.70M | $-88.64M | $-230.06M | $62.83M |
| FY2015 | $438.24M | $-117.95M | $-368.55M | $75.06M |
| FY2016 | $442.08M | $-112.24M | $-288.30M | $82.96M |
| FY2017 | $452.99M | $-78.50M | $-352.89M | $40.75M |
| FY2018 | $572.32M | $-88.51M | $-490.12M | $42.48M |
| FY2019 | $519.63M | $-102.14M | $-423.37M | $59.46M |
| FY2020 | $596.53M | $9.46M | $-315.33M | $33.38M |
| FY2021 | $603.14M | $-87.61M | $-458.59M | $36.61M |
| FY2022 | $683.75M | $-116.62M | $-509.18M | $61.12M |
| FY2023 | $636.88M | $-112.25M | $-460.54M | $45.87M |
| FY2024 | $410.47M | $-87.12M | $-496.44M | $56.32M |
| FY2025 | $319.97M | $-85.70M | $-330.31M | $53.16M |
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.