Supermicro
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $-46.13M | $-36.18M | $80.01M | $35.10M |
| FY2016 | $107.99M | $-35.13M | $13.10M | $34.11M |
| FY2017 | $-96.19M | $-29.37M | $57.72M | $29.37M |
| FY2018 | $84.35M | $-25.92M | $-50.83M | $24.82M |
| FY2019 | $262.55M | $-24.85M | $-95.83M | $24.85M |
| FY2020 | $-30.33M | $-43.59M | $23.80M | $44.34M |
| FY2021 | $122.96M | $-58.02M | $-44.44M | $58.02M |
| FY2022 | $-440.80M | $-46.28M | $522.87M | $45.18M |
| FY2023 | $663.58M | $-39.49M | $-448.29M | $36.79M |
| FY2024 | $-2.49B | $-194.25M | $3.91B | $124.28M |
| FY2025 | $1.66B | $-183.21M | $2.02B | $127.21M |
| FY2026 | $-6.81B | $-200.28M | $9.48B | $162.00M |
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.
- 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.