Help me research publicly traded companies that may fit a defined investment research screen. This is educational research, not personalized financial advice, and I will verify current data before acting. Investment objective and horizon: [OBJECTIVE AND HORIZON] Risk tolerance and exclusions: [RISK TOLERANCE AND EXCLUSIONS] Universe to consider: [MARKET AND SECTOR UNIVERSE] Screen criteria: [SCREEN CRITERIA] Existing holdings or concentration concerns: [PORTFOLIO CONTEXT]
Available sources or current data date: [DATA SOURCES AND AS-OF DATE]
First, identify which criteria require current market data and cannot be responsibly answered without it. If you lack live, verifiable data, do not pretend to screen the market; instead give me a research framework and a clearly labeled illustrative example only if I request one.
If adequate data is supplied, return a shortlist of up to 8 companies in a table. For each, include ticker, business description, why it passes each screen, valuation metric with its definition and as-of date, profitability and balance-sheet indicators, one growth driver, two material risks, and source links or filing references. Separate reported figures from your inferences.
Then compare the candidates on business quality, valuation sensitivity, cyclicality, balance-sheet risk, and concentration with my existing holdings. Include a disconfirming case for each candidate: what evidence would make it fail the screen. Do not give a buy, sell, price target, certainty score, or claim that a stock will outperform.
Finish with a due-diligence checklist covering the latest annual report, latest quarterly filing, earnings call, share dilution, debt maturities, customer or geographic concentration, and insider or related-party issues where relevant. Before answering, check that every numerical claim has a date, unit, and source; flag any criterion the supplied data cannot support. Ask up to 3 clarifying questions only if a required input is missing.Fill in
| Placeholder | What to enter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| [OBJECTIVE AND HORIZON] | Enter your research objective and the approximate time period you expect to hold an investment. | Research durable U.S. businesses for a diversified taxable account with a five- to seven-year horizon. |
| [RISK TOLERANCE AND EXCLUSIONS] | Enter acceptable volatility or business risk and any sectors, regions, or practices you want excluded. | Moderate tolerance for volatility; exclude tobacco, cryptocurrency miners, and companies with unresolved going-concern warnings. |
| [MARKET AND SECTOR UNIVERSE] | Enter the exchanges, countries, market-cap range, or sectors you want considered. | U.S.-listed companies above $5 billion market capitalization; focus on industrial software and specialized manufacturing. |
| [SCREEN CRITERIA] | Enter the measurable financial and business criteria the companies must meet. | Positive free cash flow in each of the last three fiscal years, net debt below 2.5x EBITDA, revenue growth above 8% in the latest fiscal year, and no customer above 25% of revenue. |
| [PORTFOLIO CONTEXT] | Enter existing sector or company exposures that could create concentration risk. | Already own broad U.S. index funds and a meaningful position in one mega-cap software stock; avoid adding another mega-cap software concentration. |
| [DATA SOURCES AND AS-OF DATE] | Enter the source links, exported data, or date of any market data you provide. | Use my September 20, 2026 spreadsheet export and SEC annual and quarterly filings linked in the sheet. |
How to use
- Paste the prompt with a measurable screen and the date and source of any data you provide.
- Check every table number against the cited filing or data source, especially units, fiscal periods, and adjusted metrics.
- Read the disconfirming case before spending time on a candidate; it tells you what could break the thesis.
- Follow up with: “For the first three candidates, build a filing-based question list for the next earnings call and label each question by risk.”
Variations
Filing research brief
Use this when you already have a company and want disciplined due diligence.
Create a due-diligence brief on [COMPANY AND TICKER] using [FILINGS AND SOURCES] as of [AS-OF DATE]. My research question is [QUESTION]. Summarize the business, revenue drivers, unit economics if disclosed, balance sheet, cash flow, dilution, material customer or supplier concentration, competitive risks, and management guidance. Separate reported facts from analytical inferences, and cite each numerical claim to a filing section or page. End with five unanswered questions and evidence that would disconfirm the optimistic case. This is research, not investment advice. Ask up to 3 questions only if required.
Portfolio overlap check
Use this before adding a company to an existing portfolio.
Assess potential overlap between my holdings [CURRENT HOLDINGS] and [CANDIDATE STOCK OR ETF]. My objective is [OBJECTIVE], and my concern is [CONCENTRATION CONCERN]. Using data dated [AS-OF DATE], compare sector, geography, revenue exposure, factor or interest-rate sensitivity, major underlying holdings if applicable, and correlated business risks. State where data is unavailable or definitions differ. Do not recommend a transaction. Produce a concise overlap table, key risks, and questions I should ask a fiduciary adviser if I need personalized guidance. Ask up to 3 questions only if essential.
Earnings quality screen
Use this to examine the reliability of reported profits and cash flow.
Analyze earnings quality for [COMPANY OR TICKERS] using [ANNUAL AND QUARTERLY FILINGS] through [AS-OF DATE]. Review revenue recognition notes, cash conversion, working-capital movements, stock-based compensation, acquisitions, restructuring adjustments, debt, share count, and any changes in accounting policies or non-GAAP measures. Return a table of reported evidence, why it matters, and items needing further verification. Do not infer fraud or make a buy or sell recommendation. Flag ambiguous disclosures rather than resolving them by guesswork. Ask up to 3 questions only if needed.
Tips
- Define the screen with thresholds and periods, such as three years of positive free cash flow, rather than vague labels like “high quality.”
- Use SEC filings and company earnings materials for reported numbers; aggregator data can be stale, differently adjusted, or mapped to the wrong fiscal period.
- Compare valuation metrics only among businesses with similar economics and accounting; a low multiple can reflect cyclicality, debt, or weak cash conversion.
- A shortlist is a research queue, not a portfolio. Check diversification, tax implications, and your own objectives before acting.
FAQ
Can Claude find undervalued stocks for me?
It can help structure a screen and compare evidence, but valuation depends on assumptions and current data. It cannot reliably identify future winners or provide personalized recommendations.
What data should I provide?
Provide a dated export or source links, then use regulatory filings to verify the numbers that matter to your screen.
Why does the prompt avoid buy and sell calls?
A useful analysis should expose assumptions, risks, and missing evidence rather than presenting an uncertain investment outcome as a directive.