New normal declared and staffed: management says the company's recent level of business has become its new baseline, and
The model's full reasoning — Q1 2018 call → NOWe need to determine if management conveys that the level of business is now the new normal, and that they are operating to that level. The transcript discusses strong growth in HRS and IEI, but also significant investments and losses in Nike. Management says they expect revenue growth in the second half, and that HRS and IEI will grow over 10%. They talk about bookings being strong. However, they also frame fiscal 2018 as an investment year, with Nike losses persisting. They do not explicitly say that the current level is the new normal. They talk about future growth, but the current quarter results were within guidance, and they are investing for the future. The strong performance in HRS and IEI is presented as ongoing, but not necessarily as a step-up from a recent norm that is now the baseline. They mention "record" profits for HRS and IEI, but that could be just a good quarter. They also discuss CEC declining. The overall tone is that they are investing for long-term growth, not that the current level is the new normal. They expect revenue acceleration in the second half, but that is future. They do not describe present-tense work to serve a higher level as the new baseline. They are managing through investments. So answer NO.
| Ticker | Company | Call | Date | Call grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECPG | Encore Capital Group, Inc. | Q1 2024 | 2024-05-08 | B |
| LINC | Lincoln Educational Services Corporation | Q1 2024 | 2024-05-06 | B+ |
| PDS | Precision Drilling Corporation | Q1 2024 | 2024-04-25 | B |
| KOPN | Kopin Corporation | Q4 2023 | 2024-03-14 | C+ |
| AEP | American Electric Power Company, Inc. | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-02 | C+ |
| GRBK | Green Brick Partners, Inc. | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-01 | B |
| TGLS | Tecnoglass Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-08-08 | A |
| SPT | Sprout Social, Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-08-04 | B+ |
| IMAX | IMAX Corporation | Q2 2023 | 2023-07-26 | B+ |
| DAL | Delta Air Lines, Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-07-13 | A |
| PFIE | Profire Energy, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-13 | B |
| KE | Kimball Electronics, Inc. | Q3 2023 | 2023-05-06 | C+ |
| DKS | DICK'S Sporting Goods, Inc. | Q4 2022 | 2023-03-07 | B |
| TGT | Target Corporation | Q4 2022 | 2023-02-28 | C |
| UAL | United Airlines Holdings, Inc. | Q4 2022 | 2023-01-18 | B |
| PKOH | Park-Ohio Holdings Corp. | Q3 2022 | 2022-11-13 | B |
| EXFY | Expensify, Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2022-08-12 | D |
| CRL | Charles River Laboratories International | Q2 2022 | 2022-08-03 | C |
| CME | CME Group Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2022-07-27 | B |
| OGI | OrganiGram Holdings Inc. | Q3 2022 | 2022-07-14 | B+ |
| KFY | Korn Ferry | Q4 2022 | 2022-06-22 | B |
| HLIO | Helios Technologies, Inc. | Q1 2022 | 2022-05-10 | C |
| CCRN | Cross Country Healthcare, Inc. | Q1 2022 | 2022-05-04 | B |
| GTES | Gates Industrial Corporation plc | Q4 2021 | 2022-02-07 | C+ |
| LC | LendingClub Corporation | Q4 2021 | 2022-01-26 | A |
| LOW | Lowe's Companies, Inc. | Q3 2021 | 2021-11-17 | B+ |
| HNRG | Hallador Energy Company | Q3 2021 | 2021-11-09 | C+ |
| KTB | Kontoor Brands, Inc. | Q3 2021 | 2021-11-04 | A |
| ASAN | Asana, Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2021-09-01 | B+ |
| OWL | Blue Owl Capital Inc. | Q2 2021 | 2021-08-10 | B+ |
| ANIP | ANI Pharmaceuticals, Inc. | Q4 2016 | 2017-03-02 | B+ |
| EVBN | Evans Bancorp, Inc. | Q4 2016 | 2017-02-06 | B+ |
UAL · Q4 2022 → YESThe question is: Does management convey that the LEVEL OF BUSINESS THE COMPANY IS NOW DOING HAS BECOME ITS NEW NORMAL — that activity which would recently have been exceptional is now the company's cu...YES The transcript shows management framing the post-pandemic operating environment—higher margins, sustained demand recovery, capacity constraints, and investments in staffing/technology—as the new baseline for United's business. Scott Kirby explicitly states that structural changes have set the industry (and United) up for higher margins than pre-pandemic levels, with United achieving 9% adjusted pre-tax margin in H2 2022 ahead of schedule and expecting to hit it again in 2023. They describe current activity (e.g.
CRL · Q2 2022 → YESThe question is whether management conveys that the current level of business has become the new normal, meaning activity that would recently have been exceptional is now ordinary, and they're doing r...YES The transcript shows management framing the elevated activity in Safety Assessment (DSA segment) as the new baseline: backlog "well above the prior year level," "significantly above prior year levels," "unprecedented demand," "never seen this sort of commitment that far out with better pricing," and "large portion of 2023 revenue already booked.
DAL · Q2 2023 → YESThe question is: Does management convey that the LEVEL OF BUSINESS THE COMPANY IS NOW DOING HAS BECOME ITS NEW NORMAL — that activity which would recently have been exceptional is now the company's cu...YES The transcript shows management framing the current performance as the new baseline: record revenue and earnings, "highest quarterly earnings result in our history," "moves Delta beyond recovery and firmly on a great path forward," and executing ahead of the three-year plan with raised full-year guidance.