Trade Desk (The)
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 | $-14.85M | $-2.21M | $28.00M | $832.00K |
| FY2015 | $-36.56M | $-6.38M | $29.67M | $5.13M |
| FY2016 | $75.03M | $-9.22M | $63.54M | $6.88M |
| FY2017 | $31.22M | $-16.06M | $7.39M | $10.11M |
| FY2018 | $86.60M | $-25.19M | $-10.13M | $19.80M |
| FY2019 | $60.21M | $-163.84M | $27.28M | $35.69M |
| FY2020 | $405.07M | $-143.27M | $44.68M | $74.06M |
| FY2021 | $378.51M | $-93.64M | $31.93M | $54.80M |
| FY2022 | $548.73M | $-304.37M | $31.99M | $84.16M |
| FY2023 | $598.32M | $-107.59M | $-626.11M | $46.79M |
| FY2024 | $739.46M | $-157.51M | $-107.61M | $98.24M |
| FY2025 | $992.72M | $-292.63M | $-1.41B | $197.01M |
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.