Cash Flow Statement
Retrieve real-time or historical cash flow statement data for public companies using Octagon MCP.
Prerequisites
Ensure Octagon MCP is configured in your AI agent (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, etc.). See references/mcp-setup.md for installation instructions.
Query Format
Retrieve real-time or historical cash flow statement data for <TICKER>, limited to <N> records and filtered by period <FY|Q>.
MCP Call:
{
"server": "octagon-mcp",
"toolName": "octagon-agent",
"arguments": {
"prompt": "Retrieve real-time or historical cash flow statement data for AAPL, limited to 5 records and filtered by period FY"
}
}
Output Format
The agent returns a table with absolute cash flow figures:
| Fiscal Year | Net Income (USD) | Operating Cash Flow (USD) | Investing Cash Flow (USD) | Financing Cash Flow (USD) | Free Cash Flow (USD) | Net Change in Cash (USD) | Cash at End of Period (USD) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | $112.01B | $111.48B | $15.19B | -$120.69B | $98.77B | $5.99B | $35.93B |
| 2024 | $93.74B | $118.25B | $2.94B | -$121.98B | $108.81B | -$794.00M | $29.94B |
| 2023 | $96.99B | $110.54B | $3.71B | -$108.49B | $99.58B | $5.76B | $30.74B |
| 2022 | $99.80B | $122.15B | -$2.24B | -$110.75B | $111.44B | -$1.09B | $24.98B |
| 2021 | $94.68B | $104.04B | -$1.45B | -$93.35B | $92.95B | -$386.00M | $35.93B |
Data Source: octagon-financials-agent
Key Observations Pattern
After receiving data, generate observations:
- Operating cash flow consistency: Track OCF relative to Net Income
- Financing outflows: Analyze buybacks and dividends
- Free cash flow capacity: Assess cash generation strength
- Capital expenditure trends: Derive from OCF minus FCF
- Cash position trajectory: Monitor ending cash balance
Metrics Reference
| Metric | Definition |
|---|---|
| Net Income | Bottom-line profit (starting point for OCF) |
| Operating Cash Flow | Cash from core business operations |
| Investing Cash Flow | Cash for/from investments and capex |
| Financing Cash Flow | Cash from/to debt and equity activities |
| Free Cash Flow | OCF minus capital expenditures |
| Net Change in Cash | Total cash change for the period |
| Cash at End of Period | Ending cash and equivalents balance |
Analysis Tips
Cash Conversion Quality
Cash Conversion = Operating Cash Flow / Net Income
- Above 1.0 = high quality earnings
- Consistently below 1.0 = potential concerns
Capex Calculation
Capital Expenditures = Operating Cash Flow - Free Cash Flow
Example: $111.48B - $98.77B = $12.71B capex
Shareholder Returns
Financing outflows typically include:
- Share repurchases (buybacks)
- Dividend payments
- Debt repayments
Three-Statement Linkage
- Net Income flows from Income Statement
- Cash at End links to Balance Sheet
- Changes explain Balance Sheet movements
Cash Flow Sustainability
Strong indicators:
- OCF consistently > Net Income
- FCF covers dividends and buybacks
- Positive ending cash trend
Warning signs:
- OCF declining while income grows
- FCF negative with continued buybacks
- Cash position eroding
Follow-up Queries
Based on results, suggest deeper analysis:
- "Break down [COMPANY]'s financing cash flow between buybacks, dividends, and debt activity"
- "What is [COMPANY]'s capital expenditure trend and guidance for next year?"
- "Compare [COMPANY]'s free cash flow yield to [PEER1] and [PEER2]"
- "Analyze [COMPANY]'s working capital changes driving operating cash flow"