Intercontinental Exchange 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 6 of 7 comparable quarters.
6 / 7 direction agreement
How is agreement calculated?| Spearman ρ (exact) | 0.150 (p=0.594) |
|---|---|
| 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 | 6 / 7 (6 / 7) |
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 30, 2026 | 10-Q | +0.079 | +12.6% | n/a |
| Apr 30, 2026 | 10-Q | +0.057 | +77.3% | n/a |
| Oct 30, 2025 | 10-Q | +0.026 | +24.2% | n/a |
| Jul 31, 2025 | 10-Q | +0.089 | +34.7% | n/a |
| May 1, 2025 | 10-Q | +0.039 | +3.9% | n/a |
| Oct 31, 2024 | 10-Q | -0.006 | +21.4% | n/a |
| Aug 1, 2024 | 10-Q | +0.037 | -20.9% | n/a |
| May 2, 2024 | 10-Q | +0.052 | +17.1% | n/a |
| Nov 2, 2023 | 10-Q | +0.008 | +383.2% | n/a |
| Aug 3, 2023 | 10-Q | -0.026 | +44.0% | n/a |
| May 4, 2023 | 10-Q | -0.007 | -0.3% | n/a |
| Nov 3, 2022 | 10-Q | +0.023 | -130.2% | n/a |
| Aug 4, 2022 | 10-Q | +0.051 | -55.7% | n/a |
| May 5, 2022 | 10-Q | +0.053 | +1.7% | n/a |
| Oct 28, 2021 | 10-Q | +0.102 | +62.3% | n/a |
| Date | Form | Tone | Net income YoY | Revenue YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 5, 2026 | 10-K | +0.038 | +20.4% | n/a |
| Feb 6, 2025 | 10-K | +0.009 | +16.3% | n/a |
| Feb 8, 2024 | 10-K | +0.009 | +63.8% | n/a |
| Feb 2, 2023 | 10-K | +0.011 | -64.4% | n/a |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 10-K | +0.050 | +94.3% | n/a |