VSE 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 | $49.72M | $-3.41M | $-46.26M | $3.41M |
| FY2015 | $37.57M | $-205.19M | $168.09M | $10.56M |
| FY2016 | $47.19M | $-6.47M | $-41.04M | $6.55M |
| FY2017 | $50.42M | $-3.01M | $-47.21M | $3.74M |
| FY2018 | $18.86M | $-1.30M | $-18.02M | $3.12M |
| FY2019 | $17.99M | $-122.81M | $105.39M | $9.63M |
| FY2020 | $35.76M | $20.22M | $-56.34M | $4.43M |
| FY2021 | $-17.60M | $-61.63M | $79.37M | $10.52M |
| FY2022 | $8.05M | $-2.38M | $-5.71M | $11.21M |
| FY2023 | $-21.83M | $-235.69M | $264.97M | $18.67M |
| FY2024 | $-31.04M | $-263.67M | $315.81M | $20.70M |
| FY2025 | $26.99M | $-276.45M | $289.79M | $21.28M |
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.