Stepan Company
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 | $82.60M | $-109.22M | $-15.49M | $101.82M |
| FY2015 | $183.72M | $-125.97M | $42.49M | $119.35M |
| FY2016 | $212.16M | $-130.52M | $-29.77M | $103.08M |
| FY2017 | $198.86M | $-82.68M | $-50.50M | $78.61M |
| FY2018 | $171.13M | $-107.82M | $-51.65M | $86.65M |
| FY2019 | $218.43M | $-112.67M | $-90.49M | $105.57M |
| FY2020 | $235.22M | $-139.03M | $-64.93M | $125.79M |
| FY2021 | $72.14M | $-376.83M | $117.33M | $194.48M |
| FY2022 | $160.76M | $-308.09M | $166.21M | $301.55M |
| FY2023 | $174.88M | $-258.67M | $33.28M | $260.34M |
| FY2024 | $162.05M | $-116.95M | $-64.52M | $122.78M |
| FY2025 | $147.88M | $-89.05M | $-35.44M | $122.51M |
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.