Prompt templates

10 AI prompts for researching a stock — without asking it to pick one

AI is genuinely good at explaining a business, organizing news and pressure-testing your thinking. It is bad at predicting prices, and it can be confidently wrong about numbers. These ten prompts use it for the first job and steer it away from the second. You make the decision.

By Chris · Updated Oct 6, 2026 · Facts checked Oct 2, 2026

Not financial advice

These prompts help you understand a company and question your own thinking. Every one tells the AI not to recommend buying or selling. Check every number against the company’s own filings, and remember that no AI can predict a stock price.

Four ground rules before you start

Feed it fresh information. Paste in or upload the latest annual report, quarterly results or earnings release — or ask an assistant that searches the web. Otherwise it may describe the company as it was a year ago.
Check every number. Revenue, profit, debt and dates should match the company’s filings. In the US, those are free on the SEC’s EDGAR database.
Ask for a self-audit. End important answers with the self-audit from our hallucinations guide, so the AI labels which claims came from the filing and which are its guesses.
You decide. AI provides the analysis. You own the decision, how much to invest and how much risk you can take.

1. Understand the company in one page

Explain [COMPANY] ([TICKER]) as if I've never heard of it, using the report I've pasted below. Cover: what it does, how it makes money, who its customers are and why they buy, the 5 things that move its results, and the one big question investors are debating. Then list 5 numbers I should track each quarter, and any red flags. Don't tell me whether to buy or sell. [paste the latest annual report or results]

2. The best case for and against

Give me the strongest bull case for [TICKER], then the strongest bear case. Make each as convincing as a smart believer would. For each: the core argument, the assumptions it depends on, and what evidence would prove it wrong. Finish with the 3 questions that decide which side is right. No recommendation.

3. What could go wrong — before what could go right

List the biggest risks to owning [TICKER] over the next 6 months, grouped as: the business itself, the economy or market, and investor sentiment. For each: why it matters, early warning signs to watch, and what would reduce the risk. Rank them, and label which is most likely and which would do the most damage.

4. Separate facts from hype in the news

Here are recent news stories about [TICKER]: [paste or ask it to search]. Sort what they say into three groups: (1) confirmed facts, (2) opinions and narratives, (3) hype or speculation. Which items matter for the business in the long run, and which are noise? Name the one item most likely to change the fundamentals.

5. Before the next earnings report

[TICKER] reports earnings on [date]. Explain in plain words: 1. What investors seem to expect. 2. Which kinds of surprise would actually matter, and why. 3. Five good questions to listen for on the earnings call. Don't predict the share price.

6. Is it expensive or cheap — in plain words?

Explain to a smart beginner whether [TICKER] looks expensive or cheap compared with its growth, its risks and similar companies. What does the current price assume about the future? Where is that assumption fragile? Which companies are fair comparisons, and why? Keep the numbers to a minimum and show where each one comes from.

7. Three scenarios, not a prediction

Describe three scenarios for [TICKER] over the next 6 months: good, middle and bad. Focus on what would cause each — not on price targets. For each: what changes, what would trigger it, early signs it's happening, and what would rule it out. Say which scenario is most likely and which would matter most.

8. Mistakes people make with stocks like this

What are the most common mistakes individual investors make with [TICKER] or similar stocks? For each: what it looks like, why it goes wrong, and a simple rule that prevents it. Finish with a 30-second checklist I can run before any trade.

9. Hold, wait or avoid — the conditions, not the answer

Summarize the best reasons someone might hold, wait on, or avoid [TICKER]. Do NOT give a final recommendation. For each option: the reasoning, the conditions that would make it sensible, and the type of investor it suits. End with 5 things to check every week.

10. Learn from a loss without fooling yourself

I lost money on [TICKER]. Help me work out whether it was a bad process, bad luck, or an emotional decision. Ask me, one at a time: why I bought, how long I planned to hold, how much I put in, what would have made me sell, what happened, and what I did next. Then give me an honest split between process, luck and emotion, and 3 changes to my process.

Watch out for “AI stock picker” scams

The SEC, FINRA and NASAA (the state securities regulators) issued a joint alert about fraud that uses AI as bait — platforms promising things like “our AI trading system can’t lose” or “use AI to pick guaranteed stock winners”. Real tools don’t guarantee returns. Check that any platform is registered, and never hand an app or assistant your brokerage login.

New to prompting? Start with the four basic moves in our prompting guide, and keep an eye on the market stories in our AI news.

Sources: SEC, NASAA and FINRA: AI and investment fraud · FINRA: AI and investment fraud · SEC EDGAR company filings · Anthropic: Reduce hallucinations

Quick answers

Can ChatGPT predict stock prices?

No. No AI can reliably predict prices, and assistants may be working from out-of-date data. Use AI to understand a company and its risks, not to forecast where the price goes.

Is it safe to follow AI stock picks?

Treat any “AI stock pick” with suspicion. The SEC, FINRA and state regulators have warned that scammers use AI hype, with claims like “use AI to pick guaranteed stock winners”. Guaranteed returns with little risk are a classic sign of fraud.

Which AI is best for stock research?

Use one that can search the web for recent news and read a long document you upload, such as a company’s annual report. ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini can all do both on their paid plans. Whichever you use, check every number against the company’s own filings.

Can I give an AI access to my brokerage account?

Don’t share brokerage logins or passwords with any AI assistant or AI trading app. If you want help with your portfolio, type in the holdings yourself, with no account numbers.

Is this financial advice?

No. These prompts help you research and think clearly. Decisions about buying or selling, and how much risk to take, are yours — consider a licensed financial adviser for personal advice.

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