Sensient Technologies
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 | $189.19M | $-79.15M | $-98.55M | $79.40M |
| FY2015 | $128.05M | $-75.79M | $-50.13M | $79.94M |
| FY2016 | $183.64M | $-36.36M | $-127.97M | $81.22M |
| FY2017 | $36.31M | $110.38M | $-153.41M | $56.34M |
| FY2018 | $83.52M | $14.83M | $-98.72M | $50.74M |
| FY2019 | $177.18M | $-37.41M | $-150.58M | $39.10M |
| FY2020 | $218.78M | $-33.42M | $-184.15M | $52.16M |
| FY2021 | $145.22M | $-35.56M | $-107.76M | $60.79M |
| FY2022 | $12.07M | $-98.45M | $86.18M | $79.32M |
| FY2023 | $169.70M | $-87.62M | $-82.00M | $87.87M |
| FY2024 | $157.15M | $-59.21M | $-81.55M | $59.21M |
| FY2025 | $127.83M | $-92.68M | $-35.04M | $89.41M |
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.