Sprouts Farmers Market
S&P 400
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2012 | $84.43M | $-166.70M | $134.94M | $46.49M |
| FY2013 | $160.59M | $-86.29M | $-63.86M | $87.46M |
| FY2014 | $181.22M | $-126.67M | $-1.69M | $127.07M |
| FY2016 | $239.90M | $-128.31M | $-106.03M | $125.31M |
| FY2017 | $309.57M | $-198.59M | $-103.96M | $198.62M |
| FY2018 | $294.38M | $-177.08M | $-134.53M | $177.08M |
| FY2019 | $355.21M | $-183.23M | $-87.44M | $183.23M |
| FY2021 | $494.04M | $-121.97M | $-287.41M | $121.97M |
| FY2022 | $364.80M | $-102.38M | $-186.86M | $102.38M |
| FY2023 | $465.07M | $-238.34M | $-318.05M | $225.31M |
| FY2024 | $645.21M | $-230.38M | $-351.50M | $230.38M |
| FY2025 | $716.00M | $-248.27M | $-474.05M | $248.27M |
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.