Sonoco
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $417.92M | $-507.43M | $39.46M | $177.08M |
| FY2015 | $452.93M | $-179.87M | $-256.36M | $192.30M |
| FY2016 | $398.68M | $-3.14M | $-315.70M | $186.74M |
| FY2017 | $348.25M | $-564.58M | $203.24M | $188.91M |
| FY2018 | $589.90M | $-444.13M | $-273.65M | $192.57M |
| FY2019 | $425.85M | $-479.10M | $77.20M | $195.93M |
| FY2020 | $705.62M | $-126.33M | $-162.87M | $194.13M |
| FY2021 | $298.67M | $-165.90M | $-513.54M | $256.02M |
| FY2022 | $509.05M | $-1.74B | $1.29B | $328.77M |
| FY2023 | $882.92M | $-619.34M | $-351.99M | $363.08M |
| FY2024 | $833.85M | $-4.11B | $3.67B | $393.24M |
| FY2025 | $689.78M | $2.20B | $-2.99B | $344.02M |
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.