SBA Communications
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 | $674.34M | $-1.76B | $995.30M | $211.25M |
| FY2015 | $723.03M | $-737.07M | $75.75M | $208.71M |
| FY2016 | $742.53M | $-428.24M | $-288.56M | $139.98M |
| FY2017 | $818.47M | $-605.11M | $-294.57M | $147.04M |
| FY2018 | $850.62M | $-618.35M | $-148.54M | $149.81M |
| FY2019 | $970.05M | $-947.16M | $-62.31M | $154.24M |
| FY2020 | $1.13B | $-446.37M | $-469.02M | $128.57M |
| FY2021 | $1.19B | $-1.42B | $339.26M | $133.69M |
| FY2022 | $1.29B | $-1.39B | $-135.47M | $214.44M |
| FY2023 | $1.54B | $-468.25M | $-1.02B | $236.70M |
| FY2024 | $1.33B | $-809.31M | $645.74M | $228.15M |
| FY2025 | $1.29B | $-601.83M | $-1.66B | $224.82M |
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.