T. Rowe Price
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 | $1.34B | $-443.40M | $-792.40M | $126.20M |
| FY2015 | $1.53B | $109.00M | $-1.97B | $151.30M |
| FY2016 | $170.50M | $106.20M | $-176.40M | $148.30M |
| FY2017 | $229.50M | $39.00M | $461.50M | $186.10M |
| FY2018 | $1.62B | $-875.50M | $-1.24B | $168.50M |
| FY2019 | $1.52B | $-324.50M | $-832.70M | $204.60M |
| FY2020 | $1.92B | $-36.30M | $-1.49B | $214.60M |
| FY2021 | $3.45B | $-1.10B | $-2.99B | $239.10M |
| FY2022 | $2.36B | $-41.50M | $-2.08B | $237.60M |
| FY2023 | $1.22B | $128.20M | $-1.08B | $307.90M |
| FY2024 | $1.69B | $-177.50M | $-936.60M | $423.40M |
| FY2025 | $1.75B | $230.30M | $-1.28B | $274.20M |
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.