Cash flow is the net amount of cash and cash equivalents being transferred into and out of a business. Cash received represents inflows, while money spent represents outflows.
At a fundamental level, a company’s ability to create value for shareholders is determined by its ability to generate positive cash flows or, more specifically, maximize long-term free cash flow (FCF). FCF is the cash that a company generates from its normal business operations after subtracting any money spent on capital expenditures (CapEx).