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Asterias Biotherapeutics' (AST) — Earnings Call X-Ray

Our AI read all 11 of AST's earnings calls (2016–2018) and answered the same battery of questions about each one. Every past call is free; the newest quarter unlocks with a free account.

Latest Call Grade
🔒
Q2 2018 · sign up to see
Previous Call Grade
D
Q1 2018
Expected Move
🔒
next 45 days · members
Calls Analyzed
11
2016–2018
Avg Candor
6.5/9
evasion 3/9
Critic AmmunitionUnderused Fixed CostsMargins ContractingReads RehearsedQuestion Left HangingResults Worse Than Direction

Call-by-call analysis

🔒 Q2 2018 earnings call 2018-08-10 NEWEST

Guidance: ■■■■■Demand: ■■■■■■ Margins: ■■■■Backlog: ■■■■ ■ analysts, ■■ questionsexpected move ±■■%
Candor /9
Specificity /9
Evasion /9
Stress /9

Management ■■■■■■ guidance against ■■■■■■■■ demand and ■■■■■■■ margins. The delivery was ■■■■■■■■ and ■■■■ in specifics, with ■■■ questions left hanging.

🔒 The Q2 2018 call grade is ready
The full 37-point AI read of AST's newest earnings call — grade, expected move, and every question answered — is free with an account.
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D Q1 2018 earnings call 2018-05-13

Management gave no formal guidance against contracting margins.

Margins: contractingHeadcount: growingCapex: flat 5 analysts · 13 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging⚑ Reads rehearsedDirection beats results
Candor 6/9
Specificity 6/9
Evasion 4/9
Confidence 6/9
Uncertainty 5/9
Promotion 5/9
Stress 2/9
Complexity 7/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
NO Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
NO Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
YES Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
NO Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
YES Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
NO Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
YES Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
NO Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
YES Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
YES Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
YES Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?

D Q4 2017 earnings call 2018-03-15

Management gave no formal guidance.

Headcount: cuttingCapex: decreasing 5 analysts · 6 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Guidance underwritableDirection beats results
Candor 6/9
Specificity 6/9
Evasion 4/9
Confidence 7/9
Uncertainty 5/9
Promotion 5/9
Stress 2/9
Complexity 8/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
NO Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
YES Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
YES Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
NO Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
NO Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
NO Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
YES Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
NO Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
YES Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
YES Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
NO Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?

C Q3 2017 earnings call 2017-11-14

Management gave no formal guidance against contracting margins. The delivery was unusually candid, rich in specifics.

Margins: contractingHeadcount: cuttingCapex: decreasing 5 analysts · 13 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts⚑ Reads rehearsedDirection beats results
Candor 7/9
Specificity 8/9
Evasion 2/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 4/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 2/9
Complexity 7/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
NO Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
NO Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
NO Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
YES Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
NO Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
NO Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
YES Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
NO Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
YES Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
YES Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
YES Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?
From the research question bank
2 more research questions answered NO

C Q2 2017 earnings call 2017-08-14

Management gave no formal guidance against contracting margins. The delivery was unusually candid, rich in specifics, relaxed under questioning.

Margins: contractingHeadcount: cuttingCapex: decreasing 6 analysts · 13 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts⚑ Reads rehearsedDirection beats results
Candor 7/9
Specificity 8/9
Evasion 2/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 3/9
Promotion 5/9
Stress 1/9
Complexity 7/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
NO Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
NO Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
NO Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
YES Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
NO Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
NO Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
YES Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
NO Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
YES Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
YES Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
YES Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?

C Q1 2017 earnings call 2017-05-11

Management gave no formal guidance. The delivery was rich in specifics, relaxed under questioning, promotional in tone.

7 analysts · 11 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts⚑ Reads rehearsed
Candor 6/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 2/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 3/9
Promotion 7/9
Stress 1/9
Complexity 8/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
NO Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
NO Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
YES Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
YES Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
NO Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
NO Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
NO Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
NO Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
NO Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
NO Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
YES Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?

C Q4 2016 earnings call 2017-03-28

Management gave no formal guidance. The delivery was unusually candid, rich in specifics, relaxed under questioning.

Capex: increasing 6 analysts · 14 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts⚑ Reads rehearsed
Candor 7/9
Specificity 8/9
Evasion 4/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 5/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 1/9
Complexity 8/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
NO Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
NO Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
NO Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
YES Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
NO Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
NO Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
YES Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
NO Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
YES Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
NO Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
YES Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?

C+ Q3 2016 earnings call 2016-11-14

Management gave no formal guidance against accelerating demand. The delivery was unusually candid, rich in specifics, relaxed under questioning.

Demand: accelerating 5 analysts · 18 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition✓ Skeptic reassured⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts✓ Volume step-up ahead✓ Early product, fast growth
Candor 7/9
Specificity 8/9
Evasion 2/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 4/9
Promotion 7/9
Stress 1/9
Complexity 7/9
All 20 questions our AI answered about this call
YES Would a skeptical short-seller find this call reassuring?
NO Would a careful investor underwrite management's guidance?
NO Is management's confidence proportionate to the evidence presented?
YES Does the call resolve more doubts than it creates?
YES Is there something a critic could fairly use against the company?
NO Is a claimed advantage dependent on scale they lack?
YES Does an obvious question remain unanswered?
YES Is a product early in its life but growing very fast?
YES Do they serve a small fraction of their addressable customers?
YES Is volume about to step up rather than grow gradually?
NO Are high fixed costs currently underutilised?
NO Is pricing recovering from a depressed level?
NO Do current results look bad while the direction looks better?
NO Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
NO Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
NO Is a fast-growing segment obscured by a declining one?
NO Does the CFO speak more than the CEO?
YES Does the call read rehearsed rather than lived?

Earlier calls

CallDateGradeGuidanceDemandMarginsCandorEvasion
Q2 2016 2016-08-16 C noneunclearunclear 7/9 2/9
Q1 2016 2016-05-16 C noneunclearunclear 6/9 3/9
Q4 2015 2016-03-29 F noneunclearunclear 5/9 5/9

How to read this page

The grade is a transparent composite of call quality — candor, specificity, low evasion, low stress, whether the call resolves more doubts than it creates, and the guidance action — not a buy or sell signal. The expected move is a volatility estimate from the one signal that survived our out-of-sample tests: how a stock's own reaction and pre-call volatility predict the size (not direction) of its next move. Full detail, including everything that failed: methodology.

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Not investment advice. Artul.ai publishes AI-generated earnings-call quality grades and expected-volatility estimates — never buy or sell recommendations. We tested over 1,600 predictive hypotheses against 165,000 transcripts; the honest result, including what failed, is documented in our methodology.