Target Corporation
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 | $4.47B | $-1.93B | $-1.02B | $1.79B |
| FY2016 | $5.96B | $508.00M | $-4.63B | $1.44B |
| FY2017 | $5.44B | $-1.47B | $-5.51B | $1.55B |
| FY2018 | $6.94B | $-3.08B | $-3.73B | $2.53B |
| FY2019 | $5.97B | $-3.42B | $-3.64B | $3.52B |
| FY2020 | $7.12B | $-2.94B | $-3.15B | $3.03B |
| FY2021 | $10.53B | $-2.59B | $-2.00B | $2.65B |
| FY2022 | $8.63B | $-3.15B | $-8.07B | $3.54B |
| FY2023 | $4.02B | $-5.50B | $-2.20B | $5.53B |
| FY2024 | $8.62B | $-4.76B | $-2.29B | $4.81B |
| FY2025 | $7.37B | $-2.86B | $-3.55B | $2.89B |
| FY2026 | $6.56B | $-3.65B | $-2.19B | $3.73B |
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.