The net amount of cash and cash-equivalents moving into and out of a business. Positive cash flow indicates that a company's liquid assets are increasing, enabling it to settle debts, reinvest in its business, return to shareholders, pay expenses or provide a buffer against future financial challenges.
Logo
Sharper Insight. Smarter Investing.
Manage Preferences
TERM OF THE DAY
Cash Flow
Cash flow is the net amount of cash and cash-equivalents moving into and out of a business. Positive cash flow indicates that a company's liquid assets are increasing, enabling it to settle debts, reinvest in its business, return money to shareholders, pay expenses and provide a buffer against future financial challenges. Negative cash flow indicates that a company's liquid assets are decreasing. Net cash flow is distinguished from net income, which includes accounts receivable and other items for which payment has not actually been received. Cash flow is used to assess the quality of a company's income, that is, how liquid it is, which can indicate whether the company is positioned to remain solvent.
Breaking it Down:
The accrual accounting method allows companies to count their chickens before they hatch, so to speak, by considering credit as... Read More
Related to "Cash Flow"
What is the difference between net income and cash flow from operating activities?
Learn how net income differs from cash flow from operating activities and how noncash expenses and changes in working capital affect the cash flow statement. Read More
Analyze Cash Flow The Easy Way
Find out how to analyze the way a company spends its money to determine whether there will be any money left for investors. Read More
Cash Flow From Investing
Cash flow analysis is a critical process for both companies and investors. Find out what you need to know about it. Read More
Related Definitions
Operating Cash Flow Margin
A measure of the money a company generates from its core operations per dollar of sales. The operating cash flow can be found on the company's cash flow statement, and the revenue can be found on the income statement. Read More
Non-Operating Cash Flows
Non-operating cash flows are inflows and outflows of cash that are not related to the day-to-day, ongoing operations of a business. Read More
Direct Method
The direct method is a method of creating the cash flow statement in which actual cash flow information from the company's operations segment is used, instead of accrual accounting values. Read More
Retained Cash Flow - RCP
Retained cash flow (RCP) is a measure of the net change in cash and cash equivalent assets at the end of a financial period. Read More
You are currently subscribed as: cmingyar@mtaloy.edu
Unsubscribe   
Dotdash Meredith 28 Liberty Street, 7th Floor, New York, NY 10005
© 2018 Investopedia, LLC. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy
Follow Us: