Priced like the old business, running like a new one: management is redirecting the call away from the metric investors
The model's full reasoning — Q2 2021 call → NOWe need to determine if management repeatedly redirects attention away from the conventional yardstick and toward a different part of the business that is already earning, and indicates that the record has not caught up. Let's analyze the transcript. The call is JPMorgan's Q2 2021 earnings call. The conventional yardstick for a bank is typically net interest income (NII), loan growth, net interest margin, etc. Management discusses various topics. Key points: - Jamie Dimon and Jeremy Barnum discuss results. They mention NII outlook, card spend, loan growth, etc. - There is a lot of discussion about NII, but they also emphasize other things like fee generation, AWM, CIB, etc. - Specifically, they talk about the strength in Investment Banking fees, AWM record revenue, and card spend. They also mention that NII is under pressure due to low rates and consumer deleveraging, but they are optimistic about loan growth later. - They also discuss capital, expenses, etc. Does management set aside the conventional yardstick? They do discuss NII and loan growth, but they also point to other parts. For example, they say "headwinds in NII from consumer delevering are offset by strong fee generation across AWM and CIB, and exceptionally low net charge-offs." They also talk about the power of the diversified business model. But is there a repeated redirection? They mention that NII is challenged, but they don't say "don't look at NII, look at this other thing." They do highlight strong fee businesses. However, they still provide NII guidance and discuss it. They also talk about card spend and loan growth. The question asks: "Does management REPEATEDLY REDIRECT ATTENTION AWAY FROM THE MEASURE OR STORYLINE BY WHICH THE COMPANY IS CONVENTIONALLY JUDGED and toward a DIFFERENT PART OF THE BUSINESS that it says is ALREADY EARNING TODAY?" The conventional measure for a bank is often net interest income or net interest margin, and also loan growth. Management does discuss these, but they also emphasize fee income, investment banking, wealth management, etc. However, they don't explicitly say "the old yardstick is no longer the right one." They do say that NII is under pressure but they have other strengths. But is that a redirection? They are still answering questions about NII and providing guidance. They also talk about card spend being up, but that's part of the same business.
| Ticker | Company | Call | Date | Call grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| NOAH | Noah Holdings Limited | Q1 2024 | 2024-05-30 | D |
| DUOT | Duos Technologies Group, Inc. | Q4 2023 | 2024-04-01 | F |
| OPAD | Offerpad Solutions Inc. | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-01 | C |
| SPT | Sprout Social, Inc. | Q2 2023 | 2023-08-04 | B+ |
| PRPH | ProPhase Labs, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-11 | F |
| CALX | Calix, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-04-20 | C+ |
| WD | Walker & Dunlop, Inc. | Q2 2022 | 2022-08-09 | C+ |
| LC | LendingClub Corporation | Q4 2021 | 2022-01-26 | A |
| CYBR | CyberArk Software Ltd. | Q3 2021 | 2021-11-04 | B+ |
| LPTH | LightPath Technologies, Inc. | Q4 2021 | 2021-09-09 | D |
| LOB | Live Oak Bancshares, Inc. | Q3 2018 | 2018-10-25 | C+ |
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