Understanding Cash Flow Statement
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Understanding Cash Flow Statement
Understanding the Cash Flow Statement: A Comprehensive Guide
In this video, the Invent ERP Team will provide a detailed breakdown of the cash flow statement—one of the three primary financial statements.
Key Questions We Will Address:
✅ How does a cash flow statement work?
✅ How are cash balance and cash flow connected?
✅ What do terms like cash flow from operating, investing, and financing activities mean?
This video aims to explain these essential financial concepts in a clear and structured manner.
What is a Cash Flow Statement?
The cash flow statement is a crucial financial report that details the movement of cash in and out of a company over a given period—typically a year, quarter, or month. It helps stakeholders understand where the company’s cash is coming from and how it is being used.
The Cash Flow Statement in Context
The cash flow statement is one of the three core financial statements, alongside:
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The Balance Sheet – A snapshot of the company’s financial position at a specific moment in time.
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The Income Statement – A report on the company’s revenue, expenses, and net profit over a period.
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The Cash Flow Statement – An analysis of how cash moves in and out of the business over time.
Unlike the balance sheet, which provides a static view, or the income statement, which records accounting-based profit and loss, the cash flow statement focuses solely on actual cash movement.
Cash Flow vs. Cash Balance: A Simple Analogy
Imagine a bathtub:
🛁 Cash balance is like the water level at a given time.
💧 Cash flow represents the water entering and leaving through the faucet and drain.
Checking the water level at two different times gives you the cash balance, while the difference in levels reflects the cash flow. If more water flows in than out, the balance rises (positive cash flow). If more water drains than enters, the balance drops (negative cash flow).
This analogy highlights the importance of managing cash effectively—without sufficient cash, a company cannot sustain operations, regardless of its profitability.
Example: Shell’s Cash Flow Statement (2012–2016)
To illustrate how cash flow works in a real-world scenario, let’s examine Shell’s financial performance over five years. (Disclaimer: This video is for educational purposes only and should not be considered investment advice.)
📌 Shell’s Cash Balance Over Time:
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End of 2012: $18.6 billion
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End of 2013: $9.7 billion (Net cash outflow: $8.9 billion)
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End of 2014: $21.6 billion (Net cash inflow: $11.9 billion)
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End of 2015: $31.8 billion (Net cash inflow: $10.2 billion)
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End of 2016: $19.1 billion (Net cash outflow: $12.7 billion)
While these numbers show changes in cash balance, they don’t reveal the full financial picture. To understand why cash levels changed, we need to break down the three key sections of the cash flow statement:
1️⃣ Cash Flow from Operating Activities (CFOA)
2️⃣ Cash Flow from Investing Activities
3️⃣ Cash Flow from Financing Activities
Breaking Down the Cash Flow Statement
1. Cash Flow from Operating Activities (CFOA)
This section reports the cash generated from core business operations. It includes:
✅ Cash inflows from customer payments.
✅ Cash outflows for supplier payments, employee salaries, and taxes.
For stable and mature companies, operating cash flow is typically positive, meaning the company generates more cash than it spends on daily operations.
📌 Shell’s Example:
In 2014, Shell generated a significant $45 billion in operating cash flow, reflecting strong business performance.
2. Cash Flow from Investing Activities
This section covers:
✅ Cash outflows for investments in new projects, capital expenditures (CapEx), and acquisitions.
✅ Cash inflows from selling assets or divestments.
Investing activities often result in a net cash outflow as companies reinvest earnings to drive long-term growth.
📌 Shell’s Example:
In 2013, Shell’s capital expenditures peaked at $40 billion, reflecting aggressive investment in future growth.
3. Cash Flow from Financing Activities
This section tracks cash movements related to funding the company. It includes:
✅ Cash inflows from issuing new debt or equity.
✅ Cash outflows from repaying debt, share buybacks, or dividend payments.
A company may take on debt to expand, or if it has excess cash, it may return value to shareholders through dividends or share repurchases.
📌 Shell’s Example:
In 2014, Shell returned $13 billion to shareholders through dividends and buybacks.
Impact of Market Conditions on Cash Flow
Cash flow can be heavily influenced by external factors such as commodity prices, economic cycles, and market demand.
📉 Oil Price Impact on Shell:
Every $10 decrease in oil prices reduced Shell’s cash flow by $3–$3.5 billion.
As oil prices plummeted from an average of $100 per barrel in 2014, Shell’s operating cash inflows declined significantly.
📌 Shell’s Performance in 2016:
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Starting cash balance: $31.8 billion
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Ending cash balance: $19.1 billion
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Net cash outflow: $12.7 billion