Net Cash From Continuing Operations (Historical)
Returns the net cash provided by or used in continuing operations for a company. This represents the cash generated from the company's ongoing core business activities, excluding any discontinued operations.
Understanding the Metric
This is a key measure of a company's ability to generate cash from its core business:
- Positive value indicates the business generates cash from operations
- Negative value indicates operations are consuming cash (often a concern)
This excludes cash flows from:
- Discontinued operations (shown separately)
- Investing activities
- Financing activities
Parameters
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| Symbol | Stock ticker (e.g., AAPL, MSFT) |
| Year | Fiscal year or period code (lq, ly, lq-1, ly-1, lt, lt-1) |
| Quarter | Optional: 1, 2, 3, or 4 (default: 1) |
| TTM | Optional: "TTM" for trailing twelve months |
Period Codes
| Code | Meaning |
|---|---|
| lq | Last reported quarter |
| lq-1 | Quarter before last |
| ly | Last fiscal year |
| ly-1 | Year before last |
| lt | Last trailing twelve months |
| lt-1 | Prior trailing twelve months |
Examples
=hf_Net_cash_from_continuing_operations("AAPL", 2023, 4)=hf_Net_cash_from_continuing_operations("MSFT", "ly")=hf_Net_cash_from_continuing_operations("GOOGL", 2023, , "TTM")=hf_Net_cash_from_continuing_operations(A1, B1, C1)=hf_Net_cash_from_continuing_operations("AMZN", "lq")When to Use
- Evaluating core business cash generation
- Calculating free cash flow
- Assessing ability to fund operations internally
- Comparing operating efficiency across companies
- Building valuation and DCF models
When NOT to Use
| Scenario | Use Instead |
|---|---|
| Need cash from discontinued operations | hf_Net_cash_from_discontinued_operations() |
| Need investing cash flow | Check investing activity functions |
| Need financing cash flow | Check financing activity functions |
| Need total cash change | hf_Net_change_in_cash_and_cash_equivalents() |
Common Issues & FAQ
Q: How does this differ from net income? A: Operating cash flow adjusts net income for non-cash items (depreciation, stock comp) and working capital changes. It shows actual cash generated, not accounting profit.
Q: Why is cash flow sometimes higher than net income? A: Non-cash charges like depreciation and amortization are added back. Companies with high depreciation often have operating cash flow exceeding net income.
Q: What about discontinued operations?
A: If the company has disposed of or is disposing of business segments, those cash flows are reported separately. Use hf_Net_cash_from_discontinued_operations() for that portion.
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