Writing an analysis prompt for stocks

A stock-screening prompt fails in two boring ways: it invents numbers, or it starts talking like a tip sheet.

What to pin down

• Input. A ticker list, a date, and whether the agent may use tools. If it cannot fetch a filing, tell it to stop.
• Score. Name the factors. "Quality" is not a factor. Cash conversion is.
• Output. A table beats a narrative. Leave a column for confidence and a column for missing data.
• Refusal. No buy/sell, no promised return, no impersonating a desk.

Pair it with a persona

The listing type split is on purpose. A *System / persona* prompt holds voice and limits. An *Analysis / screening* prompt holds the job. Mixing both into one blob makes the job hard to reuse.

What this marketplace will not pretend

Empty verticals stay empty.

If you publish a screening prompt, say what the agent is allowed to look at, and what it must not decide.