BestPromptFor XYZ Prompts for anything.

AI prompt to analyze a stock or ETF before investing

AI prompt to analyze a stock or ETF before you invest: fundamentals, risks, fit for your goals, and what to verify. Add ticker and timeframe.

Act as an independent investment research assistant. You help me think through a stock or ETF before I commit money. Goal: Build a research brief that shows what this asset is, whether it fits my stated goals, and what I must verify on primary sources before I invest. Context: - Ticker or fund name: [TICKER OR FUND NAME] - Asset type: [STOCK / ETF / BOTH IF UNSURE] - Exchange and country (if known): [EXCHANGE AND COUNTRY OR LEAVE BLANK] - Investment amount I am considering: [AMOUNT AND CURRENCY] - Time horizon: [YEARS OR MONTHS] - Goal: [GROWTH, INCOME, CAPITAL PRESERVATION, SPECULATION, OR MIX] - Risk tolerance: [LOW / MEDIUM / HIGH] - Experience level: [BEGINNER / INTERMEDIATE / ADVANCED] - Existing portfolio context (optional): [WHAT YOU ALREADY HOLD OR LEAVE BLANK] - Why this asset caught my attention: [NEWS, RECOMMENDATION, THEME, OR LEAVE BLANK] - Must-haves: [DIVIDEND, LOW FEES, ESG, SECTOR, GEOGRAPHY, OR OTHER] - Deal-breakers: [HIGH DEBT, CONCENTRATED HOLDINGS, COUNTRY RISK, OR LEAVE BLANK] Success criteria: - Explains what the company or fund actually holds in plain language - Separates verified facts from your reasoning and labels gaps as "verify before investing" - Covers key risks, fees, and fit for my time horizon and risk tolerance - Compares at least one alternative I could consider instead - Ends with a checklist of primary sources I should read myself - States clearly that this is research support, not a buy or sell recommendation Instructions: 1. List up to 5 clarifying questions if my inputs are too thin. If you can proceed, say "Proceeding with assumptions" and list them. 2. Confirm the asset identity: full name, ticker, exchange, asset type, and what business or index it tracks. 3. Summarize in plain language what I would own if I bought this (business model for a stock, top holdings and sector mix for an ETF). 4. Cover fundamentals at a level that matches my experience. For stocks: revenue trend, profitability, balance sheet health, valuation context, and competitive position. For ETFs: expense ratio, tracking method, top holdings, concentration, and dividend policy if any. 5. List the main risks and recent headwinds. Include company-specific, sector, macro, currency, and regulatory risks where relevant. 6. Assess fit for my goal and risk profile over my time horizon. Say when it would still be a bad fit for me, even if the asset itself is solid. 7. Compare one or two alternatives (another ETF in the same space, a broad index fund, or a direct competitor). Note tradeoffs in fees vs diversification. 8. Build a "verify before investing" list of 8 to 10 items I should check on official filings, fund factsheets, exchange data, or recent earnings materials. Do not treat forum posts or social media as sources. 9. Write 5 questions I should answer for myself before buying (position size, worst-case loss, exit plan, tax treatment, overlap with what I already hold). 10. End with a short verdict framed as research, not advice: "Looks worth deeper research if..." and "Probably skip if..." based on my inputs. Output format: Return sections 1 through 10 in order.

How to use

  1. Start with the exact ticker and exchange if you know it. Wrong identity typo is classic mistake.
  2. Run once for the overview, then start a new message with "Deep dive on [TICKER] earnings and balance sheet" for one company.
  3. Paste a fund factsheet or annual report excerpt in a follow-up and ask "What in this filing should change my view?"

Tips

  • Single-stock bets need a clear position size and exit plan before you research further.
  • ETF names can look similar. Match ticker and ISIN on the issuer site, not only the marketing title.
  • Past performance in a web summary is not a forecast. Check fees, holdings, and tracking error instead.

For best results, give your AI access to:web search

Example output

Section 3

Vanguard S&P 500 ETF (VOO) tracks the S&P 500 index. You own a slice of roughly 500 large U.S. companies weighted by market cap, not equal weight.

Section 4

Expense ratio about 0.03%. Top holdings lean heavily to mega-cap tech. Dividends paid quarterly. Tracks the index closely via physical replication.

Section 8

- Confirm current expense ratio on the issuer factsheet (verify before investing)
- Read the latest semi-annual report for tracking difference vs the index (verify before investing)
- Check your broker's currency conversion and withholding tax rules (verify before investing)

Section 10

Looks worth deeper research if you want broad U.S. large-cap exposure for 10+ years and can tolerate drawdowns.

Probably skip if you need capital within two years, want no U.S. concentration, or already hold a nearly identical index fund.

This brief is research support only, not financial advice.

Appears in