Visa Inc.
S&P 500
Dow Jones
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 | $7.21B | $-941.00M | $-6.48B | $553.00M |
| FY2015 | $6.58B | $-1.44B | $-3.60B | $414.00M |
| FY2016 | $5.57B | $-10.92B | $7.48B | $523.00M |
| FY2017 | $9.32B | $735.00M | $-5.92B | $707.00M |
| FY2018 | $12.94B | $-3.08B | $-10.79B | $718.00M |
| FY2019 | $12.78B | $-591.00M | $-12.06B | $756.00M |
| FY2020 | $10.44B | $1.43B | $-3.97B | $736.00M |
| FY2021 | $15.23B | $-152.00M | $-14.41B | $705.00M |
| FY2022 | $18.85B | $-4.29B | $-12.70B | $970.00M |
| FY2023 | $20.76B | $-2.01B | $-17.77B | $1.06B |
| FY2024 | $19.95B | $-1.93B | $-20.63B | $1.26B |
| FY2025 | $23.06B | $708.00M | $-18.96B | $1.48B |
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.