Advanced Drainage Systems
S&P 400
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 | $74.38M | $-76.09M | $1.79M | $32.08M |
| FY2016 | $135.34M | $-49.02M | $-82.96M | $44.94M |
| FY2017 | $104.24M | $-61.26M | $-42.83M | $46.68M |
| FY2018 | $137.12M | $-30.45M | $-94.95M | $41.71M |
| FY2019 | $151.68M | $-42.54M | $-117.66M | $43.41M |
| FY2020 | $306.19M | $-1.15B | $1.01B | $67.68M |
| FY2021 | $452.22M | $-77.87M | $-354.58M | $78.76M |
| FY2022 | $274.89M | $-198.83M | $-251.07M | $149.08M |
| FY2023 | $707.81M | $-214.48M | $-296.28M | $166.91M |
| FY2024 | $717.93M | $-155.66M | $-284.34M | $183.81M |
| FY2025 | $581.49M | $-447.87M | $-157.73M | $212.94M |
| FY2026 | $819.05M | $-1.21B | $156.32M | $249.77M |
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.