cash flow

noun

1. the sum of the after-tax profit of a business plus depreciation and other noncash charges: used as an indication of internal funds available for stock dividends, purchase of buildings and equipment, etc.

cash flow

noun

1. the movement of money into and out of a business

2. a prediction of such movement over a given period

Word History and Origins

Origin of cash flow¹

First recorded in 1950–55

Example Sentences

When a company pays out its free cash flow, that value exits the stock price and arrives in shareholder accounts as cash.

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Creating a detailed budget to understand your cash flow, separating fixed and variable expenses, can help you consciously decide how much you can afford in the way of discretionary spending, Shafransky said.

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It generates nearly $100 billion in free cash flow each year and, unlike its megacap tech peers, isn’t spending like an inebriated sailor on artificial intelligence.

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We do a lot of retirement cash flow planning for clients, projecting income and expenses and how those are going to affect their investment portfolio over time.

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This disciplined capital allocation — returning all free cash flow to shareholders via dividends and buybacks — makes it practically saintly.

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