Let’s be honest: most earnings calls sound the same. Corporate jargon. Carefully rehearsed optimism. Strategic vagueness wrapped in buzzwords like “synergy,” “efficiency,” and “macro headwinds.”

So we decided to do what most investors don’t have time (or patience) for: we read 100 recent earnings calls across sectors — from mega-cap tech giants to mid-cap industrials. The goal?

• Call out the phrases CEOs can’t stop using
• Highlight the real insights that actually mattered
• And name names on who’s spinning and who’s delivering

Here’s what we found.

The Top 10 CEO Buzzwords That Mean Absolutely Nothing

1. “Navigating a dynamic environment”
   Translation: Things are shaky, and we’re winging it.
2. “Disciplined cost management”
   Translation: We laid off people and cut stuff you won’t notice until next quarter.
3. “Strong execution despite macro headwinds”
   Translation: Our numbers were mid, but we need you to be impressed anyway.
4. “Strategic realignment”
   Translation: We missed. We’re panicking. Please don’t sell.
5. “Normalizing demand trends”
   Translation: Sales dropped.
6. “Robust pipeline”
   Translation: Nothing’s closed yet, but our PowerPoint slide looks great.
7. “Reaffirming our commitment to shareholder value”
   Translation: We’re buying back stock because we don’t know what else to do.
8. “Operational excellence”
   Translation: Literally no one knows what this means anymore.
9. “Right-sizing the business”
   Translation: Expect more layoffs.
10. “Positioned for long-term growth”
    Translation: Short-term pain. And no, we won’t say how long.

Where the Real Insights Were Hiding

Not everything was fluff. In a handful of calls, CEOs and CFOs dropped signals worth noting — if you were paying attention.

Example 1: Microsoft (MSFT)

Instead of hyping AI in vague terms, Satya Nadella gave actual usage metrics and product integration timelines for Copilot across Office 365. Actionable. Specific. Zero spin.

Example 2: Delta Air Lines (DAL)

Delta’s execs were upfront about rising fuel costs and gave exact figures on how much they’ve hedged and what cost per available seat mile (CASM) looks like. No hiding behind macro excuses.

Example 3: Shopify (SHOP)

Instead of glossing over soft gross margins, Shopify addressed the real driver — heavier investments in logistics. The CFO explained when and how margins would return. Strategic, not vague.

Who’s Spinning the Hardest?

We won’t name names (okay, we will):

• Snap (SNAP): Used the word “resilience” 7 times while reporting flat user growth and declining revenue. Said “optimizing ad platform” instead of “we’re losing market share.”
• Peloton (PTON): Referenced “member engagement momentum” while active subscriptions dropped. That’s not momentum — that’s a slide.
• Intel (INTC): Spoke at length about “AI transformation” while skipping over poor foundry revenue. Diversion 101.

How to Actually Listen to an Earnings Call

Most of the alpha isn’t in the press release. It’s in the tone. The dodged questions. The slip-ups. The confidence (or lack thereof) in a CEO’s voice.

Here’s your cheat sheet:

• If the execs repeat the same phrase three times, it’s PR, not strategy.
• If they answer a numbers-based question with “we’ll follow up”, the number sucks.
• If they mention macro conditions more than their own operations, they’re blaming the weather for bad pizza.

The Bottom Line

Most earnings calls are corporate theatre. But buried under the fluff are real signals — if you know what to filter for.

At EarningsHub, we don’t just track earnings reports — we track what happens before, during, and after the call. Tone shifts, guidance trends, volatility patterns — the stuff that actually moves the market.

Because when CEOs speak in circles, we cut through it.

And now, so can you.