Arthur J. Gallagher & Co. showed little relationship between MD&A tone and quarterly net income.
Does not remain notable after adjusting for hundreds of tests. Why?
The analysis measures a same-filing relationship, not a forecast. Limitations
Each dot represents one 10-Q filing. Points farther right have more positive MD&A tone. Points higher on the chart had stronger year-over-year net income growth, after extreme percent changes are capped. Upper-right and lower-left points indicate tone and earnings moving in the same direction. How to read this chart
Tone and earnings moved in the same direction in all 3 comparable quarters.
3 / 3 direction agreement
How is agreement calculated?| Spearman ρ (exact) | -0.175 (p=0.533) |
|---|---|
| Pearson r | -0.114 (p=0.686) |
| 95% CI (Pearson) | [-0.59, 0.42] |
| FDR q | 0.812 |
| Sample size (n) | 15 · More established sample |
| Agreement | 3 / 3 (3 / 3) |
Secondary to net income because revenue concepts are less comparable across some industries.
Revenue comparison is not used for this industry because companies report revenue-like concepts differently.
Why?Annual samples are shorter and are not mixed into the default quarterly board.
Tone shown to three decimals so small nonzero values stay visible.
| Date | Form | Tone | Net income YoY | Revenue YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 5, 2026 | 10-Q | -0.016 | -11.4% | n/a |
| May 7, 2026 | 10-Q | +0.007 | +16.7% | n/a |
| Nov 10, 2025 | 10-Q | -0.013 | -12.8% | n/a |
| Aug 1, 2025 | 10-Q | -0.000 | +29.1% | n/a |
| May 2, 2025 | 10-Q | +0.073 | +15.8% | n/a |
| Oct 29, 2024 | 10-Q | -0.006 | +11.4% | n/a |
| Jul 26, 2024 | 10-Q | -0.022 | +20.9% | n/a |
| May 1, 2024 | 10-Q | +0.036 | +25.1% | n/a |
| Oct 27, 2023 | 10-Q | +0.058 | +9.7% | n/a |
| Aug 4, 2023 | 10-Q | +0.041 | -17.5% | n/a |
| May 8, 2023 | 10-Q | +0.054 | +10.9% | n/a |
| Nov 2, 2022 | 10-Q | -0.004 | +13.6% | n/a |
| Aug 3, 2022 | 10-Q | -0.002 | +49.4% | n/a |
| May 6, 2022 | 10-Q | +0.033 | +14.8% | n/a |
| Oct 29, 2021 | 10-Q | -0.032 | +27.5% | n/a |
| Date | Form | Tone | Net income YoY | Revenue YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 17, 2026 | 10-K | -0.207 | +2.1% | n/a |
| Feb 18, 2025 | 10-K | -0.145 | +50.9% | n/a |
| Feb 9, 2024 | 10-K | -0.199 | -13.0% | n/a |
| Feb 10, 2023 | 10-K | -0.138 | +22.9% | n/a |
| Feb 18, 2022 | 10-K | -0.170 | +10.7% | n/a |