Does anyone listen to conference calls?

July 20, 2006 By

I’m listening to the Google conference call right now. It’s so boring it’s motivating me to go back out and do the garage. I feel sorry for the journalists and investors who need to listen to these things. Yeah, I know these are the ways that companies need to communicate their financial results with investors.

Filed Under: 1
  • http://kr8tr.wordpress.com/ kr8tr

    Back when I worked for public companies I listened to my management team on those calls. Damn they sounded drab, and evoid of any personality whatsoever. But I knew them – they were real people, and they were generally funny and personable. You can’t expect a manager to do the “chicken dance” during an investor call (but damn, can you imagine the YouTube hits if he did!)

    It’s not the managers that are taking personality out of business – it’s the laws, and the draconian investors. Earn, Earn, Earn, and any cost. Slip just a little and they want your head. It doesn’t matter how many other heads you squish to hit your “numbers”.

  • http://kr8tr.wordpress.com/ kr8tr

    Back when I worked for public companies I listened to my management team on those calls. Damn they sounded drab, and evoid of any personality whatsoever. But I knew them – they were real people, and they were generally funny and personable. You can’t expect a manager to do the “chicken dance” during an investor call (but damn, can you imagine the YouTube hits if he did!)

    It’s not the managers that are taking personality out of business – it’s the laws, and the draconian investors. Earn, Earn, Earn, and any cost. Slip just a little and they want your head. It doesn’t matter how many other heads you squish to hit your “numbers”.

  • Goebbels

    But they’ll have bought up 70 billion in shares soon… Why did they bother with all those splits in the first place?

    It all depends on the company (Apple’s are interesting: Oppie and Steve are great–I miss Fred though–but the questions are usually not answered), but usually they are provided in a time-shifted format anyway. If you are an invested investor, pun intended, you will listen eventually. If not, it all depends on the company.

  • Goebbels

    But they’ll have bought up 70 billion in shares soon… Why did they bother with all those splits in the first place?

    It all depends on the company (Apple’s are interesting: Oppie and Steve are great–I miss Fred though–but the questions are usually not answered), but usually they are provided in a time-shifted format anyway. If you are an invested investor, pun intended, you will listen eventually. If not, it all depends on the company.

  • anon

    The Microsoft conference call was exciting. Profit is down 24.3% percent.

    http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/20/business/google.php

    Bet you’re glad you got out of there, right Robert?

  • anon

    The Microsoft conference call was exciting. Profit is down 24.3% percent.

    http://www.iht.com/articles/2006/07/20/business/google.php

    Bet you’re glad you got out of there, right Robert?

  • Christopher Coulter

    Conference calls are usually dog and pony tricks, fairy dust dancing for the Street, but the market’s emotional, so pays to be alert. If you want entertainment, reach for the TV remote…but the Overstock.com calls, my my…SciFi channel special.

  • Christopher Coulter

    Conference calls are usually dog and pony tricks, fairy dust dancing for the Street, but the market’s emotional, so pays to be alert. If you want entertainment, reach for the TV remote…but the Overstock.com calls, my my…SciFi channel special.

  • http://www.monashreport.com/ Curt Monash

    SEC-oriented lawyers tell the execs they can’t say anything positive. PR handlers tell the execs they can’t say anything negative.

    What else is left to say? Of course the calls are mind-numbingly tedious.

  • http://www.monashreport.com Curt Monash

    SEC-oriented lawyers tell the execs they can’t say anything positive. PR handlers tell the execs they can’t say anything negative.

    What else is left to say? Of course the calls are mind-numbingly tedious.

  • http://www.reasonedinvesting.com/ Brian Johnson

    Robert -

    Check out Seeking Alpha – they’ve got conference call transcripts next day for most of the meaningful companies.

    GOOG: http://internet.seekingalpha.com/article/13986

  • http://www.reasonedinvesting.com Brian Johnson

    Robert -

    Check out Seeking Alpha – they’ve got conference call transcripts next day for most of the meaningful companies.

    GOOG: http://internet.seekingalpha.com/article/13986

  • Brad

    I listen to Microsoft’s calls when I can. I agree with commenter 1 that the listening experience is greatly enhanced if you know one or more of the people on the call. I can’t say I know Colleen Healy, but I will say that she is way cooler than she sounds on the calls.

    As far as commenter 3 is concerned, way to go in extracting one data point from yesterday’s call, yet ignore a lot of other data points. I think, and more importantly investors think, that there was a lot of goodness in yesterday’s call.

  • Brad

    I listen to Microsoft’s calls when I can. I agree with commenter 1 that the listening experience is greatly enhanced if you know one or more of the people on the call. I can’t say I know Colleen Healy, but I will say that she is way cooler than she sounds on the calls.

    As far as commenter 3 is concerned, way to go in extracting one data point from yesterday’s call, yet ignore a lot of other data points. I think, and more importantly investors think, that there was a lot of goodness in yesterday’s call.