Cash cost of the wait: management is funding a defined waiting period whose end is already scheduled
The model's full reasoning — Q1 2016 call → NOThe question asks whether management describes the company as currently living through a defined waiting period it is paying for out of its own pocket, with the end of that waiting period being a specific, near-dated event. Let me analyze the transcript for this specific phenomenon. Key candidates: 1. The A350 program - they are ramping up production, delivering 14 shipsets with deferred inventory of $400,000 per shipset (down from $1.2M in Q4 2015 and $3.6M in Q1 2015). They are investing in ramping up production rates. Larry says "we continue to make progress in our performance and invest in ramping up our production rates." He also mentions "expediting costs associated with getting to rate" - surge capability, freight, expediting supply base. He says "this is one of those transitional years." 2. The 787 program - they are working through a block that ends later this year, with price step-downs and cost improvements. 3. The B-21 program - they were awarded work, are in early phase of engineering and manufacturing development, and are "executing on the detailed plans to balance all the required investments and meet program deliverables." Let me look more carefully at the A350 discussion. Larry says: "As you can see we're making very good progress but it's not -- and I think the really good news, the really good news is I think we have very good cost transparency at this point. But there's a difference between saying hey, how do you feel about your ability to project your labor learning curve, your support ratios, your supply base, cost downs versus how will you handle the turbulence in any given year or quarter. We're feeling really good as you can see but there will be some challenges during the year, quarter-to quarter and we'll continue to make progress, but this is one of those transitional years." He also mentions: "you will have some one cost, one time nonrecurring costs that occur as a you're paying kind of an expediting, I call it expediting cost associated with getting to rate. Whether that expediting cost is manifest is surge capability in your line or that expediting cost is in freight or its, you're expediting your supply base." So on the A350, they are paying expediting costs, surge costs, freight costs to get to rate. The benefit hasn't fully arrived - they're still ramping.
| Ticker | Company | Call | Date | Call grade |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| KOPN | Kopin Corporation | Q4 2023 | 2024-03-14 | C+ |
| LILA | Liberty Latin America Ltd. | Q4 2023 | 2024-02-23 | C |
| SBS | Companhia de Saneamento Básico do Estado | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-10 | C+ |
| QTRX | Quanterix Corporation | Q3 2023 | 2023-11-07 | B |
| APPS | Digital Turbine, Inc. | Q1 2024 | 2023-08-08 | D |
| PRPH | ProPhase Labs, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-11 | F |
| CDE | Coeur Mining, Inc. | Q1 2023 | 2023-05-11 | C+ |
| SOL | ReneSola Ltd | Q3 2022 | 2022-12-01 | C+ |
| FLL | Full House Resorts, Inc. | Q3 2022 | 2022-11-07 | B |
| EHTH | eHealth, Inc. | Q2 2021 | 2021-07-29 | F |
| IRT | Independence Realty Trust, Inc. | Q2 2018 | 2018-08-02 | B |
| YUM | Yum! Brands, Inc. | Q2 2018 | 2018-08-02 | C |
| IBTX | Independent Bank Group, Inc. | Q3 2017 | 2017-10-24 | A |
| FLEX | Flex Ltd. | Q1 2018 | 2017-07-28 | F |
| DAN | Dana Incorporated | Q1 2017 | 2017-05-02 | B |
SBS · Q3 2023 → YESThe question is whether management describes the company as currently living through a defined waiting period it's paying for out of its own pocket. YES The transcript shows management describing the company as currently bearing real, ongoing cash costs (salaries, consulting, transition work) for the IDP/restructuring program whose benefits (full expense reduction, shared-services center operational) are not yet realized. The far side is a specific, near-dated event: full 3.7% staff reduction and shared-services center operational by mid-2024 (July 2024 for full benefit), with the program already in motion and on schedule. Management frames this as the main current work, not a setback, and treats the costs as self-funded. This meets all three conditions.
EHTH · Q2 2021 → YESThe question is whether management describes the company as currently living through a defined waiting period it is paying for out of its own pocket. YES The transcript shows management describing the company as currently living through a defined waiting period for the AEP, paying for it out of its own pocket through heavy investments in internal agents and quality initiatives. They hired agents early, many still in training with lower productivity, and are bearing the cost of additional training and customer service expansion in Q3. This is framed as a chosen investment to improve enrollment quality and prepare for the fourth-quarter AEP, not an apology or external issue.
YUM · Q2 2018 → YESThe question is whether management describes the company as currently living through a defined waiting period it is paying for out of its own pocket. YES The transcript shows management describing a clear, self-funded transition cost tied to the refranchising effort. They explicitly call out the “timing mismatch between G&A savings and refranchising” as one of the four items weighing on Q2 core operating profit, and they quantify the full-year headwind at 6 7 percentage points. This is presented as a real, ongoing drag on current results while they complete the shift to 98 % franchised by year-end 2018 and reach the 1.7 % G&A run-rate target in 2019.