UniFirst Corporation
S&P 600
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 | $194.62M | $-94.17M | $-104.35M | $91.81M |
| FY2015 | $226.92M | $-124.27M | $-6.26M | $101.16M |
| FY2016 | $207.64M | $-114.67M | $-5.64M | $98.24M |
| FY2017 | $218.27M | $-233.04M | $-2.18M | $108.55M |
| FY2018 | $230.07M | $-153.90M | $-152.95M | $112.75M |
| FY2019 | $282.14M | $-124.33M | $-41.49M | $119.82M |
| FY2020 | $286.68M | $-157.62M | $-41.10M | $116.72M |
| FY2021 | $212.30M | $-141.47M | $-34.26M | $133.64M |
| FY2022 | $122.65M | $-186.51M | $-69.44M | $144.32M |
| FY2023 | $215.76M | $-487.65M | $-25.84M | $171.99M |
| FY2024 | $295.27M | $-162.24M | $-50.36M | $160.42M |
| FY2025 | $296.87M | $-155.05M | $-101.15M | $154.35M |
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.