Universal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2015 | $227.39M | $-54.00M | $-87.02M | $58.39M |
| FY2016 | $186.53M | $-50.93M | $-64.65M | $47.15M |
| FY2017 | $250.32M | $-33.85M | $-251.24M | $35.63M |
| FY2018 | $81.25M | $-27.39M | $-104.65M | $34.04M |
| FY2019 | $164.52M | $-34.70M | $-65.79M | $38.76M |
| FY2020 | $10.90M | $-106.37M | $-94.15M | $35.23M |
| FY2021 | $220.41M | $-217.27M | $91.39M | $66.15M |
| FY2022 | $44.88M | $-142.66M | $-16.76M | $53.20M |
| FY2023 | $-10.56M | $-50.35M | $38.95M | $54.67M |
| FY2024 | $-74.63M | $-60.00M | $125.68M | $66.01M |
| FY2025 | $326.97M | $-58.82M | $-63.24M | $62.60M |
| FY2026 | $129.10M | $-42.96M | $-284.34M | $48.83M |
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.