AT&T
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $31.34B | $-18.34B | $-7.74B | $21.20B |
| FY2015 | $35.17B | $-48.42B | $9.78B | $19.22B |
| FY2016 | $38.44B | $-23.32B | $-14.46B | $21.52B |
| FY2017 | $38.01B | $-18.94B | $25.93B | $20.65B |
| FY2018 | $43.60B | $-63.15B | $-25.99B | $21.25B |
| FY2019 | $48.67B | $-16.69B | $-25.08B | $19.64B |
| FY2020 | $43.13B | $-13.55B | $-32.01B | $14.69B |
| FY2021 | $41.96B | $-32.09B | $1.58B | $15.55B |
| FY2022 | $35.81B | $-26.90B | $-59.56B | $19.63B |
| FY2023 | $38.31B | $-19.66B | $-15.61B | $17.85B |
| FY2024 | $38.77B | $-17.49B | $-24.71B | $20.26B |
| FY2025 | $40.28B | $-18.78B | $-6.39B | $20.84B |
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.