The Wendy's Company
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2012 | $190.42M | $-189.39M | $-24.13M | $197.59M |
| FY2013 | $329.85M | $-76.69M | $-122.90M | $224.25M |
| FY2014 | $254.78M | $-187.81M | $-374.56M | $298.47M |
| FY2016 | $274.31M | $35.38M | $-237.56M | $251.62M |
| FY2017 | $238.79M | $-92.25M | $-215.80M | $81.71M |
| FY2018 | $224.23M | $362.91M | $-305.76M | $69.86M |
| FY2019 | $288.93M | $-54.93M | $-365.30M | $74.45M |
| FY2021 | $284.36M | $-68.25M | $-157.91M | $68.97M |
| FY2022 | $345.77M | $-154.67M | $-242.74M | $77.98M |
| FY2023 | $345.42M | $-86.55M | $-504.30M | $85.02M |
| FY2024 | $355.31M | $-129.31M | $-303.10M | $94.39M |
| FY2025 | $344.54M | $-150.83M | $-343.99M | $101.93M |
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.