Ulta Beauty
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 | $396.59M | $-399.28M | $-27.64M | $249.07M |
| FY2016 | $375.87M | $-278.96M | $-140.23M | $299.17M |
| FY2017 | $634.39M | $-273.45M | $-321.77M | $373.45M |
| FY2018 | $779.37M | $-530.71M | $-356.22M | $440.71M |
| FY2019 | $956.13M | $-215.11M | $-609.21M | $319.40M |
| FY2020 | $1.10B | $-471.48M | $-646.74M | $298.53M |
| FY2021 | $810.36M | $-48.75M | $-107.93M | $151.87M |
| FY2022 | $1.06B | $-176.48M | $-1.50B | $172.19M |
| FY2023 | $1.48B | $-314.58M | $-861.01M | $312.13M |
| FY2024 | $1.48B | $-441.43M | $-1.01B | $435.27M |
| FY2025 | $1.34B | $-383.09M | $-1.02B | $374.46M |
| FY2026 | $1.50B | $-931.35M | $-850.67M | $434.83M |
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.