AI Analyst for Pennies: 10 Prompts for Claude That Will Replace Expensive Consultants
The market is changing, and the routine work of stock analysts, for which tens of thousands of dollars are paid, can now be automated using artificial intelligence. I analyzed a new collection of 10 specialized prompts for Claude that allows for in-depth company research—from startups to giants—at the level of leading consulting firms. This isn't about trivial "buy/sell" advice, but about a structured, professional business analysis.
This collection of prompts covers the full analysis cycle: from a general overview of the business model to a detailed assessment of risks and management quality. Each query assigns Claude a clear role and a set of parameters for the breakdown. Let's examine what exactly each of them does.
The First Five: From Overview to Valuation
The first prompt places Claude in the role of a senior analyst preparing a research report understandable even to a beginner. It covers the business model, revenue sources, industry trends, competitors, financial results, valuation, growth drivers, and bull/base/bear scenarios. The key requirement is to rely on recent public sources, indicate dates, and clearly separate facts from assumptions.
The second prompt breaks down the company's latest earnings call: five main takeaways, changes in revenue and margins, management guidance, management tone, analyst concerns, pleasant and unpleasant surprises. It also creates a table of key metrics with the current and previous results and an explanation of why this is important.
The third prompt turns Claude into a skeptical analyst looking for red flags in revenue quality, margins, cash flow, debt, dilution, insider actions, and management wording. Each issue is assigned a severity rating, and at the end, an overall risk score from 1 to 10.
The fourth and fifth prompts focus on competitive advantages and valuation. One assesses the company's "moat"—brand, network effects, switching costs, scale, intellectual property—on a scale and compares it with competitors. The second compares the company with competitors using multiples (P/E, forward P/E, EV/revenue, EV/EBITDA) and explains whether it looks cheap, fairly valued, or expensive.
The Second Five: From DCF Model to a Beginner's Checklist
The sixth prompt helps build realistic assumptions for a discounted cash flow (DCF) model. It generates bear, base, and bull scenarios for revenue growth, margins, tax rate, capital expenditures, and discount rate, explaining the logic behind each assumption.
The seventh prompt creates a catalyst calendar for 3, 6, and 12 months: reports, product launches, investor days, regulatory decisions, lawsuits, macro events, management changes, buybacks, and dividends. For each event, it specifies timing, impact, upside and downside risks, confidence level, and source.
The eighth prompt evaluates the management team: the CEO's track record, the CFO's credibility, forecast accuracy, transparency, capital allocation, acquisitions, insider ownership size, and compensation.
The ninth prompt simulates an investment committee debate, where Claude creates a bull analyst and a bear analyst, and at the end, a neutral judge explains which position is better supported.
The tenth prompt turns Claude into a patient teacher who explains the company in simple language: what it does, how it makes money, what could go right and wrong, and its status regarding profitability, growth, debt, and valuation. At the end, a beginner's checklist is formed.
My expert opinion: The value of this collection is not that it provides ready-made answers, but that it structures research. It is a powerful tool for retail investors who want to analyze assets at a professional level without hiring a team of analysts. However, remember: the final data verification and responsibility for the decision always remain with you. AI is an assistant, not a replacement for critical thinking.