The Statement of Cash Flow

Cash Flow from Investing

One of the components of the cash flow statement is the cash flow from investing. An investing activity is anything that has to do with changes in non-current assets – including property and equipment, and investment of cash into shares of stock, foreign currency, or government bonds – and on investment – including dividends from investment in other entities and gains from sale of non-current assets.

These activities are represented in the investing income part of the income statement.

Cash Flow Statement Example of cash flow statement (indirect method)

It is important to note that investing activity does not concern cash from outside investors, such as bondholders or shareholders. For example, a company may decide to pay out a dividend. A dividend is often thought of as a payment to those who invested in the company by buying its stock. However, this cash flow is not representative of an investing activity on the part of the company. The investing activity was undertaken by the shareholder. Therefore, paying out a dividend is a financing activity.

Some examples of investment activity from the company's perspective would include:

• Cash outflow from the purchase of an asset (land, building, equipment, etc.).
  
  
• Cash inflow from the sale of an asset.
  
  
• Cash outflow from the acquisition of another company.
  
  
• Cash inflow resulting from a merger.
  
  
• Cash inflow results in dividends paid on stock owned by another company.

It is important to remember that, as with all cash flows, an investing activity only appears on the cash flow statement if there is an immediate exchange of cash. Therefore, extending credit to a customer (accounts receivable) is an investing activity, but it only appears on the cash flow statement when the customer pays off their debt.