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Akerna Corp. (KERN) — Earnings Call X-Ray

Our AI read all 14 of KERN's earnings calls (2019–2022) 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
🔒
Q3 2022 · sign up to see
Previous Call Grade
F
Q2 2022
Expected Move
🔒
next 45 days · members
Calls Analyzed
14
2019–2022
Avg Candor
5.9/9
evasion 3.3/9
High CandorSigns of StressCritic AmmunitionFounder-LedUnderused Fixed CostsPricing Under PressureMargins ExpandingDemand Slowing

Call-by-call analysis

🔒 Q3 2022 earnings call 2022-11-14 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 Q3 2022 call grade is ready
The full 37-point AI read of KERN's newest earnings call — grade, expected move, and every question answered — is free with an account.
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F Q2 2022 earnings call 2022-08-11

Management held guidance steady against slowing demand and expanding margins. The delivery was unusually candid, rich in specifics, visibly under pressure.

Guidance: maintainedDemand: slowingMargins: expandingBacklog: shrinkingPricing: under pressureHeadcount: cuttingCapex: flat 2 analysts · 6 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging⚑ Reads rehearsedFounder-ledDirection beats results
Candor 7/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 3/9
Confidence 5/9
Uncertainty 6/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 6/9
Complexity 4/9
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?
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?
NO 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?
YES Is consolidation happening among their peers?
YES Is a founder still running the company?
YES 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?

F Q1 2022 earnings call 2022-05-10

Management gave no formal guidance against accelerating demand and expanding margins. The delivery was rich in specifics.

Demand: acceleratingMargins: expandingBacklog: growingPricing: stableCapex: increasing 3 analysts · 7 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Prepayments growing⚑ Reads rehearsedFounder-ledHidden segment
Candor 6/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 5/9
Confidence 6/9
Uncertainty 6/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 4/9
Complexity 6/9
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?
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?
YES Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
YES Is consolidation happening among their peers?
YES Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
YES 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 2021 earnings call 2022-03-22

Management gave no formal guidance against accelerating demand and expanding margins. The delivery was rich in specifics.

Demand: acceleratingMargins: expandingBacklog: growingPricing: stableHeadcount: growingCapex: increasing 4 analysts · 13 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Guidance underwritable✓ Resolves doubts✓ Prepayments growing✓ Early product, fast growth
Candor 6/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 3/9
Confidence 7/9
Uncertainty 5/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 3/9
Complexity 6/9
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?
YES 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?
YES 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?
YES Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
YES Is consolidation happening among their peers?
YES Is a founder still running the company?
NO Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
YES 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 2021 earnings call 2021-11-09

Management held guidance steady against steady demand and expanding margins. The delivery was rich in specifics.

Guidance: maintainedDemand: stableMargins: expandingBacklog: stablePricing: stable 3 analysts · 9 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts✓ Early product, fast growth⚑ Reads rehearsedDirection beats results
Candor 6/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 3/9
Confidence 7/9
Uncertainty 4/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 2/9
Complexity 5/9
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?
YES 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?
YES 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 Q2 2021 earnings call 2021-08-10

Management held guidance steady against accelerating demand and expanding margins. The delivery was rich in specifics, promotional in tone.

Guidance: maintainedDemand: acceleratingMargins: expandingBacklog: growingPricing: stableHeadcount: flatCapex: increasing 3 analysts · 11 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Prepayments growing✓ Volume step-up ahead✓ Early product, fast growth⚑ Reads rehearsed
Candor 6/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 3/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 4/9
Promotion 7/9
Stress 2/9
Complexity 5/9
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?
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?
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?
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?
YES Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
YES 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 Q1 2021 earnings call 2021-05-11

Management held guidance steady against accelerating demand and expanding margins. The delivery was promotional in tone.

Guidance: maintainedDemand: acceleratingMargins: expandingBacklog: growingPricing: stableCapex: increasing 2 analysts · 7 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Volume step-up ahead✓ Early product, fast growth⚑ Reads rehearsedFounder-led
Candor 5/9
Specificity 6/9
Evasion 2/9
Confidence 8/9
Uncertainty 4/9
Promotion 8/9
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?
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?
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?
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?
YES Is consolidation happening among their peers?
YES Is a founder still running the company?
YES Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
YES 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 Q2 2021 earnings call 2021-03-23

Management held guidance steady against accelerating demand and expanding margins. The delivery was rich in specifics.

Guidance: maintainedDemand: acceleratingMargins: expandingBacklog: growingPricing: stableHeadcount: cutting 2 analysts · 9 questions
⚑ Critic ammunition⚑ Question left hanging✓ Resolves doubts✓ Prepayments growing✓ Early product, fast growth⚑ Reads rehearsed
Candor 6/9
Specificity 7/9
Evasion 2/9
Confidence 7/9
Uncertainty 4/9
Promotion 6/9
Stress 3/9
Complexity 5/9
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?
YES 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?
YES Are deferred revenue or customer prepayments growing?
YES Is consolidation happening among their peers?
NO Is a founder still running the company?
YES Does the final speaker sound like they are summarizing a finished story?
YES 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
Q1 2021 2020-11-12 D noneacceleratingcontracting 6/9 4/9
Q4 2020 2020-09-24 D noneacceleratingcontracting 5/9 4/9
Q3 2020 2020-05-13 D noneacceleratingexpanding 6/9 4/9
Q2 2020 2020-02-12 F noneacceleratingexpanding 5/9 4/9
Q1 2020 2019-11-14 F maintainedacceleratingexpanding 5/9 4/9
Sep 2019 2019-09-23 C noneacceleratingstable 6/9 2/9

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.