Woodward, Inc.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| FY2014 | $273.57M | $-205.83M | $3.99M | $207.11M |
| FY2015 | $295.99M | $-284.08M | $-34.01M | $286.61M |
| FY2016 | $435.38M | $-173.95M | $-260.99M | $175.69M |
| FY2017 | $307.54M | $-91.87M | $-211.81M | $92.34M |
| FY2018 | $299.29M | $-896.57M | $606.00M | $127.14M |
| FY2019 | $390.61M | $-102.53M | $-265.60M | $99.07M |
| FY2020 | $349.49M | $-6.88M | $-290.24M | $47.09M |
| FY2021 | $464.67M | $-35.30M | $-136.32M | $37.69M |
| FY2022 | $193.64M | $-65.45M | $-442.38M | $52.87M |
| FY2023 | $308.54M | $-73.55M | $-196.47M | $76.50M |
| FY2024 | $439.09M | $-89.22M | $-218.05M | $96.28M |
| FY2025 | $471.29M | $-119.55M | $-313.93M | $130.93M |
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.