Cash Flow

What is Operating Cash Flow?

Cash actually generated by day-to-day operations, before investment in the business.

How it is calculated

Net income adjusted for non-cash items such as depreciation and stock compensation, and for changes in working capital.

How to read it

Harder to dress up than net income. Operating cash flow that consistently trails profit is a warning sign.

Keep in mind

Companies report cash flows year to date, so each quarter is derived by subtracting the previous quarter’s year-to-date figure, and the fourth quarter by subtracting the first three quarters from the annual total.

Where the numbers come from

Scrutar computes Operating Cash Flow from the figures each company reports to the SEC in its annual and quarterly filings, using the XBRL data attached to those filings.

More Cash Flow metrics

Investing Cash FlowCash spent on or received from investments: capital expenditure, acquisitions, and buying or selling securities.How to read it →Financing Cash FlowCash exchanged with lenders and shareholders: debt raised or repaid, shares issued or bought back, dividends paid.How to read it →Free Cash FlowCash left after paying to maintain and expand the business. The money available for dividends, buybacks, debt repayment or acquisitions.How to read it →Capital ExpendituresCash spent on property, plant, equipment and other long-lived assets.How to read it →

See it for a real company

Ten years of Operating Cash Flow and every other metric on this page, for every company Scrutar covers, computed from SEC filings.

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