PayPal 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 4 of 13 comparable quarters.
4 / 13 direction agreement
How is agreement calculated?| Spearman ρ (exact) | -0.147 (p=0.615) |
|---|---|
| Pearson r | -0.041 (p=0.889) |
| 95% CI (Pearson) | [-0.56, 0.50] |
| FDR q | 0.939 |
| Sample size (n) | 14 · More established sample |
| Agreement | 4 / 13 (4 / 13) |
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 28, 2026 | 10-Q | -0.172 | n/a | n/a |
| May 5, 2026 | 10-Q | -0.153 | -13.5% | n/a |
| Oct 28, 2025 | 10-Q | -0.181 | +23.6% | n/a |
| Jul 29, 2025 | 10-Q | -0.133 | +11.8% | n/a |
| Apr 29, 2025 | 10-Q | -0.148 | +44.9% | n/a |
| Oct 29, 2024 | 10-Q | -0.052 | -1.0% | n/a |
| Jul 30, 2024 | 10-Q | -0.099 | +9.6% | n/a |
| Apr 30, 2024 | 10-Q | -0.136 | +11.7% | n/a |
| Nov 2, 2023 | 10-Q | -0.134 | -23.3% | n/a |
| Aug 3, 2023 | 10-Q | -0.122 | +401.8% | n/a |
| May 9, 2023 | 10-Q | -0.119 | +56.2% | n/a |
| Nov 4, 2022 | 10-Q | -0.105 | +22.4% | n/a |
| Aug 3, 2022 | 10-Q | -0.125 | -128.8% | n/a |
| Apr 28, 2022 | 10-Q | -0.108 | -53.6% | n/a |
| Nov 9, 2021 | 10-Q | -0.069 | +6.5% | n/a |
| Date | Form | Tone | Net income YoY | Revenue YoY |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 3, 2026 | 10-K | -0.053 | +26.2% | n/a |
| Feb 4, 2025 | 10-K | -0.154 | -2.3% | n/a |
| Feb 8, 2024 | 10-K | -0.078 | +75.5% | n/a |
| Feb 10, 2023 | 10-K | -0.050 | -42.0% | n/a |
| Feb 3, 2022 | 10-K | -0.027 | -0.8% | n/a |