Tracking the Revisions Companies Don’t Talk About
By Rada Vassil. July, 2025
⟁ How DeltaSignal Defines a Delta
In DeltaSignal, a delta is not just a change — it’s a versioned, GAAP-aligned financial shift identified within SEC filings.
Here’s what that really means:
When a company files a new 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, or S-1, we don’t just look at the content.
We compare it, line by line, against the prior version of the same form — by tag, by value, by structure.
➤ The “delta” is any difference that affects how the company’s financial posture is represented — even if that change isn’t disclosed, mentioned, or explained.
✖ Why Most Tools Miss It
Most financial tools aren’t designed to detect deltas.
They’re built to read filings as they appear, not compare them to what came before.
That means they can summarize what a 10-K says today, but they won’t tell you what quietly changed since last quarter.
And the SEC doesn’t require companies to say what changed. There’s no redline. No alert.
Unless you compare the filings line by line — you won’t see the difference.
➤ DeltaSignal AI, our SEC delta-tracking platform, does that automatically.
▸ It reads every new filing against the last version of the same form.
▸ It flags every revision, restatement, and reclassification — even if it’s silent.
▸ It’s version-aware, GAAP-tagged, and audit-traceable.
Other tools read what was filed.
That’s why most tools miss it.
We track what changed.
⟁ The Types of Deltas DeltaSignal Identifies:
Revised Values
GAAP-tagged financial metrics that were changed from prior periods.
Example: “DeferredTaxAssets” changes from $128M to $102M without explanation.
GAAP-tagged financial metrics that were changed from prior periods.
Example: “DeferredTaxAssets” changes from $128M to $102M without explanation.
Restatements
Numbers updated in past periods — sometimes labeled, sometimes not.
DeltaSignal flags these even if buried in a footnote or disguised across tables.
Numbers updated in past periods — sometimes labeled, sometimes not.
DeltaSignal flags these even if buried in a footnote or disguised across tables.
Backfilled Data
A metric that didn’t appear in the last filing suddenly appears — with values going back multiple periods.
This can affect trendlines, ratios, and financial models — and often isn’t mentioned.
A metric that didn’t appear in the last filing suddenly appears — with values going back multiple periods.
This can affect trendlines, ratios, and financial models — and often isn’t mentioned.
Reclassifications
Line items moved between sections (e.g. COGS reclassified as Operating Expense) or renamed entirely.
These deltas matter because they change the structure of analysis — not just the numbers.
Line items moved between sections (e.g. COGS reclassified as Operating Expense) or renamed entirely.
These deltas matter because they change the structure of analysis — not just the numbers.
Removals or Additions
Metrics disappear. New ones emerge. Sometimes the form is cleaner — sometimes it’s strategic.
Either way, we detect it.
Metrics disappear. New ones emerge. Sometimes the form is cleaner — sometimes it’s strategic.
Either way, we detect it.
Structural Shifts
A filing reorganizes segments, moves disclosures, or restructures tables.
A filing reorganizes segments, moves disclosures, or restructures tables.
DeltaSignal captures these as signal-worthy changes.
⟁ What Makes It a Delta — Not Just a Difference?
A difference is raw. A delta, in our system, is:
✧ Tagged to GAAP (via XBRL)
✧ Anchored to filing version, form type, and fiscal period
✧ Verified against EDGAR-native baselines
✧ Interpreted through context (e.g. restatement vs. reclassification)
✧ Traceable in an audit-aligned change log
We don’t flag formatting changes.
We don’t guess at intent.
We surface real, financial content changes — structured, explainable, and tied to source.
✦ Why These Deltas Matter
Because SEC filings don’t include redlines.
There’s no built-in way to see what changed between Q1 and Q2 — unless you do it manually.
That’s where DeltaSignal comes in.
Each delta we surface tells you:
▸ What the company changed
▸ Where it changed
▸ Whether it was explained
▸ How it might impact valuation, risk, or compliance
No guesswork. No summaries.
Just structural change detection — GAAP-tagged, source-verified, and always audit-ready.
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