United Natural Foods Inc
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 | $62.42M | $-352.79M | $295.36M | $147.30M |
| FY2015 | $48.86M | $-142.07M | $94.43M | $129.13M |
| FY2016 | $296.61M | $-350.92M | $56.35M | $41.38M |
| FY2017 | $273.33M | $-59.96M | $-217.12M | $56.11M |
| FY2018 | $109.04M | $-47.01M | $-53.56M | $44.61M |
| FY2019 | $285.00M | $-2.26B | $2.00B | $228.00M |
| FY2020 | $457.00M | $-1.00M | $-453.00M | $173.00M |
| FY2021 | $614.00M | $-237.00M | $-384.00M | $310.00M |
| FY2022 | $331.00M | $-49.00M | $-279.00M | $251.00M |
| FY2023 | $624.00M | $-339.00M | $-292.00M | $323.00M |
| FY2024 | $253.00M | $-342.00M | $92.00M | $345.00M |
| FY2025 | $470.00M | $-218.00M | $-248.00M | $231.00M |
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.