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 — Q2 2018 call → NOThe question asks whether management conveys 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 presented as the company's current ordinary operating level — AND whether management is describing real, present-tense work to serve and continue that higher level. Let me examine the transcript for evidence. Key points from the call: - Keith Creel: "we came out of the first quarter as expected and into the second quarter creating some pretty strong operating rhythm" - Revenues up 7%, adjusted EPS grew 14% - John Brooks: "Total revenues were up 7% this quarter to CAD$1.75 billion. RTMs, as Keith said, were up 4%." - John Brooks on crude: "we did 20,000 carloads in the quarter" and "I think you can get a nice step function as we move through the balance of the year" - On potash: "we are proud that we moved a record amount of potash in Q2" - On automotive: "I'm now cautiously optimistic we may have some upside" - On intermodal: "we expect both our international and domestic Intermodal to perform quite well for the remainder of the year" Now, does management frame the current level as a new normal? Let me look for language about the level of business being above what was recently usual and being sustained. John Brooks on crude: "It's interesting though the crude by rail has certainly presented us an opportunity and an opportunity that we think can span two to three to maybe upwards of five years for us." This suggests a sustained opportunity, but is it framed as a new normal? Keith Creel: "we've got capacity. So, as much as I appreciate crude and certainly we want to help solve that problem as much as we can, the most exciting part is the opportunity to develop perspective relationships with these customers" The question is quite specific: does management convey that the level of business is now the new normal — that what was recently exceptional is now ordinary? Looking at the transcript, management talks about strong demand, record potash, growth in crude, but I don't see explicit language framing the current level as a "new normal" or "baseline." They talk about growth opportunities, but they also talk about uncertainties (grain crop, trade).
| 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.