Block, Inc.
S&P 500
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 | $-112.38M | $-24.55M | $194.15M | $28.79M |
| FY2015 | $21.12M | $-43.22M | $264.76M | $37.43M |
| FY2016 | $23.13M | $-114.24M | $90.74M | $25.43M |
| FY2017 | $127.71M | $-340.61M | $454.93M | $26.10M |
| FY2018 | $295.08M | $-905.85M | $515.76M | $61.20M |
| FY2019 | $327.63M | $95.19M | $243.40M | $62.50M |
| FY2020 | $173.11M | $-606.64M | $3.68B | $138.40M |
| FY2021 | $847.83M | $-1.31B | $2.65B | $134.32M |
| FY2022 | $175.90M | $1.23B | $97.58M | $170.82M |
| FY2023 | $100.96M | $683.20M | $-240.14M | $151.15M |
| FY2024 | $1.71B | $649.95M | $1.95B | $153.95M |
| FY2025 | $2.58B | $-2.80B | $-613.10M | $155.04M |
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.