W. P. Carey
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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $399.09M | $-640.23M | $343.14M |
| FY2015 | $508.54M | $-645.19M | $121.27M |
| FY2016 | $546.80M | $-284.74M | $-282.02M |
| FY2017 | $520.66M | $214.24M | $-745.47M |
| FY2018 | $509.17M | $-266.13M | $-24.29M |
| FY2019 | $812.08M | $-522.77M | $-457.78M |
| FY2020 | $801.54M | $-539.93M | $-210.71M |
| FY2021 | $926.48M | $-1.57B | $557.05M |
| FY2022 | $1.00B | $-1.05B | $57.89M |
| FY2023 | $1.07B | $-905.88M | $292.56M |
| FY2024 | $1.83B | $-1.13B | $-688.47M |
| FY2025 | $1.28B | $-960.14M | $-761.71M |
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.