What is Cash Flow From Operating Activities ?

1109 reads · Last updated: September 26, 2023

Cash flow from operating activities (CFO) indicates the amount of money a company brings in from its ongoing, regular business activities, such as manufacturing and selling goods or providing a service to customers. It is the first section depicted on a company's cash flow statement.Cash flow from operating activities does not include long-term capital expenditures or investment revenue and expense. CFO focuses only on the core business, and is also known as operating cash flow (OCF) or net cash from operating activities.

Definition: Cash Flow from Operating Activities (CFO) represents the amount of cash generated by a company's regular business activities, such as manufacturing and selling goods or providing services to customers. It is the first section presented on the company's cash flow statement. CFO excludes long-term capital expenditures or investment income and expenses. It focuses solely on core business operations and is also known as Operating Cash Flow (OCF) or Net Cash Flow from Operating Activities.

Origin: The concept of Cash Flow from Operating Activities originated in the early 20th century when companies began to place greater emphasis on cash flow management. With the continuous improvement of accounting standards, the cash flow statement became an essential part of financial statements, and CFO, as a key component, helps investors and management better understand the company's cash flow status.

Categories and Characteristics: CFO is mainly divided into two categories: the direct method and the indirect method.

  • Direct Method: The direct method lists all cash receipts and payments to directly calculate the cash flow from operating activities. This method is intuitive but complex in data collection.
  • Indirect Method: The indirect method starts from net profit, adjusting for non-cash items and changes in working capital to indirectly calculate the cash flow from operating activities. This method is simpler and widely used in practice.

Specific Cases:

  • Case One: A manufacturing company generated 5 million yuan in cash revenue from product sales in a fiscal year and paid 3 million yuan in raw materials and labor costs, resulting in a cash flow from operating activities of 2 million yuan. This indicates a healthy cash inflow from the company's core business.
  • Case Two: A service company generated 1 million yuan in cash revenue from providing services in a quarter but paid 800,000 yuan in operating expenses, resulting in a cash flow from operating activities of 200,000 yuan. This reflects the company's cash flow status in its core business.

Common Questions:

  • Question One: Why is cash flow from operating activities more important than net profit?
    Answer: CFO reflects the actual cash inflows and outflows of a company, while net profit may be affected by non-cash items such as depreciation and amortization. Therefore, CFO more accurately reflects the company's financial health.
  • Question Two: How can a company improve its cash flow from operating activities?
    Answer: A company can improve its CFO by increasing sales revenue, reducing operating costs, and accelerating the collection of accounts receivable.

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