Rhetorical patterns.
Twelve recurring techniques in contrarian investor decks, with the top-scoring exemplars from the corpus. Click any pattern to filter the full library.
Peer-gap charts
Visual benchmarking of the target vs. best-in-class peers on a single KPI. The workhorse of activist decks.
Peloton Interactive PTON
Peloton's overlooked subscription business — 68% gross margins, 1.5% churn — can deliver $400-500M EBITDA once costs are right-sized, implying a $7.50-$31.50 share price versus $5.48 today.
Sum-of-parts reveals
Breaking the target into segments valued separately to expose hidden value.
Toyota Industries Corporation 6201
Toyota Industries' ¥18,800 take-private undervalues the company by 39%; shareholders should reject the tender and pursue a Standalone Plan worth >¥40,000 per share.
CEO quote contradiction
Using management's own words to expose broken promises or inconsistency.
Peloton Interactive PTON
Peloton's overlooked subscription business — 68% gross margins, 1.5% churn — can deliver $400-500M EBITDA once costs are right-sized, implying a $7.50-$31.50 share price versus $5.48 today.
Before / after framing
Explicit contrast: current trajectory vs. our proposed trajectory.
Named villain
Assigns blame to a specific person (CEO, board chair, auditor).
Peloton Interactive PTON
Peloton's overlooked subscription business — 68% gross margins, 1.5% churn — can deliver $400-500M EBITDA once costs are right-sized, implying a $7.50-$31.50 share price versus $5.48 today.
Fraud exposé
Short-seller theses alleging accounting, operational or outright fraud.
Break-up / spinoff
Arguing for divestiture or strategic separation to unlock value.
Phillips 66 PSX
Phillips 66 is a conglomerate trading at a refiner multiple; replace four directors, spin Midstream/CPChem/JET, and buy back 80% of shares for ~75% upside to $183.
Governance / board
Challenges to board composition, director nominees, proxy contests.
Toyota Industries Corporation 6201
Toyota Industries' ¥18,800 take-private undervalues the company by 39%; shareholders should reject the tender and pursue a Standalone Plan worth >¥40,000 per share.
Management change
Demands for CEO replacement or succession acceleration.
Peloton Interactive PTON
Peloton's overlooked subscription business — 68% gross margins, 1.5% churn — can deliver $400-500M EBITDA once costs are right-sized, implying a $7.50-$31.50 share price versus $5.48 today.
Proxy fights
Active contests for board seats — the highest-stakes moment in activism.
Phillips 66 PSX
Phillips 66 is a conglomerate trading at a refiner multiple; replace four directors, spin Midstream/CPChem/JET, and buy back 80% of shares for ~75% upside to $183.
Phillips 66 PSX
Phillips 66 has squandered value through a failed midstream pivot and a captured board; electing Elliott's four nominees and separating midstream unlocks ~$40B+ of trapped value.
Top visual craft (4–5)
Documents scoring 4 or 5 on visual craft — the swipe-file anthology.
Peloton Interactive PTON
Peloton's overlooked subscription business — 68% gross margins, 1.5% churn — can deliver $400-500M EBITDA once costs are right-sized, implying a $7.50-$31.50 share price versus $5.48 today.
Masterclass (N≥5, V≥4)
Specimens with top narrative and visual scores — the library's peak.
Peloton Interactive PTON
Peloton's overlooked subscription business — 68% gross margins, 1.5% churn — can deliver $400-500M EBITDA once costs are right-sized, implying a $7.50-$31.50 share price versus $5.48 today.