The Buried
Footnote Forensic Linguistics Analysis
on Corporate Disclosure Documents
Year-over-Year Drift AMZN
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Certainty language minus hedging language in Risk Factors. Positive = assertive, negative = hedging-heavy.

10-K 2022-02-04 10-K 2023-02-03 10-Q 2023-10-27 10-K 2024-02-02 10-Q 2024-05-01 10-Q 2024-08-02 10-Q 2024-11-01 10-K 2025-02-07 10-Q 2025-05-02 10-Q 2025-08-01 10-Q 2025-10-31 10-K 2026-02-06 10-Q 2026-04-30

From 2022-02-04 (10-K) to 2026-04-30 (10-Q), this metric increased across 13 filings.


Risk-factor drift item_1a vs prior same-form filing, cosine similarity

  • 10-K 2026-02-06 vs 2025-02-07 99.2% boilerplate
  • 10-K 2025-02-07 vs 2024-02-02 99.6% boilerplate
  • 10-K 2024-02-02 vs 2023-02-03 98.9% boilerplate
  • 10-K 2023-02-03 vs 2022-02-04 99.0% boilerplate

Non-GAAP reconciliation expansion growth in adjusted-figure add-backs vs prior filing

  • 10-K 2026-02-06 3 → 5 add-backs (+2)
    new: Asset Impairments Estimated Severance Costs Expense Related TO Settlements OF A Lawsuit AND TAX Disputes Severance Costs AND Asset Impairments Expense Related TO THE Settlement OF A Lawsuit WITH THE FTC
  • 10-K 2025-02-07 6 → 3 add-backs (+-3)
    new: Common Stock Repurchased Stock Based Compensation AND Issuance OF Employee Benefit PLAN Stock
  • 10-K 2024-02-02 5 → 6 add-backs (+1)
    new: Equity Warrant Valuation Gains Losses Foreign Currency Gains Losses Marketable Equity Securities Valuation Gains Losses Other NET Upward Adjustments Relating TO Equity Investments IN Private Companies
  • 10-K 2023-02-03 16 → 5 add-backs (+-11)
    new: Foreign Income Deduction Stock Based Compensation AND Issuance OF Employee Benefit PLAN Stock Stock Based Compensation Expense


Auditor’s report opinion, going-concern & control flags, critical audit matters

  • 10-Q 2026-04-30 unknown 0 CAMs
  • 10-K 2026-02-06 unqualified 1 CAM · auditor since 1996
    • the Matter
  • 10-K 2025-02-07 unqualified 1 CAM · auditor since 1996
    • the Matter
  • 10-K 2024-02-02 unqualified 1 CAM · auditor since 1996
    • the Matter
  • 10-K 2023-02-03 unqualified 1 CAM · auditor since 1996
    • the Matter
  • 10-K 2022-02-04 unqualified 1 CAM · auditor since 1996
    • the Matter

Balance-sheet trends inventory, receivables, reserves & impairment vs prior year

  • Doubtful-accounts allowance eroding FY 2021-12-31
    allowance +4%→+3% of receivables, which grew +34%

Segment changes reportable-segment roster vs prior filing

Added
  • International 10-Q 2026-04-30
  • North America 10-Q 2026-04-30
  • AWS 10-Q 2026-04-30