SM Energy 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $1.46B | $-2.48B | $740.05M |
| FY2015 | $990.81M | $-1.14B | $153.73M |
| FY2016 | $552.80M | $-1.87B | $1.33B |
| FY2017 | $515.39M | $-201.53M | $-12.29M |
| FY2018 | $720.63M | $-587.93M | $-368.67M |
| FY2019 | $823.57M | $-1.01B | $111.77M |
| FY2020 | $790.94M | $-555.57M | $-235.38M |
| FY2021 | $1.16B | $-667.24M | $-159.83M |
| FY2022 | $1.69B | $-880.26M | $-693.86M |
| FY2023 | $1.57B | $-1.10B | $-305.00M |
| FY2024 | $1.78B | $-3.41B | $1.01B |
| FY2025 | $2.01B | $-1.47B | $-175.00M |
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.