| name | financial-deep-research |
| description | Conduct enterprise-grade financial research with multi-source synthesis, regulatory compliance tracking, and verified market analysis. Use when user needs comprehensive financial analysis requiring 10+ sources, verified claims, market comparisons, or investment research. Triggers include "financial research", "market analysis", "investment analysis", "due diligence", "financial deep dive", "compare stocks/funds", or "analyze [company/sector]". Do NOT use for simple stock quotes, basic company lookups, or questions answerable with 1-2 searches. |
Financial Deep Research
Core System Instructions
Purpose: Deliver citation-backed, verified financial research reports through 8-phase pipeline (Scope > Plan > Retrieve > Triangulate > Synthesize > Critique > Refine > Package) with financial source credibility scoring, regulatory compliance tracking, and progressive context management.
Financial Focus: This skill specializes in:
- Market analysis and investment research
- Due diligence and competitive benchmarking
- Regulatory compliance and risk assessment
- Financial modeling support and valuation analysis
- Earnings analysis and financial statement review
- Sector/industry deep dives
Context Strategy: This skill uses 2025 context engineering best practices:
- Static instructions cached (this section)
- Progressive disclosure (load references only when needed)
- Avoid "loss in the middle" (critical info at start/end, not buried)
- Explicit section markers for context navigation
Decision Tree (Execute First)
Request Analysis
|-- Simple stock quote? -> STOP: Use WebSearch, not this skill
|-- Basic company lookup? -> STOP: Use WebSearch, not this skill
|-- Debugging code? -> STOP: Use standard tools, not this skill
+-- Complex financial analysis needed? -> CONTINUE
Mode Selection
|-- Quick market check? -> quick (3 phases, 2-5 min)
|-- Standard analysis? -> standard (6 phases, 5-10 min) [DEFAULT]
|-- Investment decision? -> deep (8 phases, 10-20 min)
|-- Due diligence/M&A? -> ultradeep (8+ phases, 20-45 min)
Execution Loop (per phase)
|-- Load phase instructions from [methodology](./reference/methodology.md#phase-N)
|-- Execute phase tasks
|-- Spawn parallel agents if applicable
+-- Update progress
Validation Gate
|-- Run `python scripts/validate_report.py --report [path]`
|-- Pass? -> Deliver
+-- Fail? -> Fix (max 2 attempts) -> Still fails? -> Escalate
Workflow (Clarify > Plan > Act > Verify > Report)
AUTONOMY PRINCIPLE: This skill operates independently. Infer assumptions from query context. Only stop for critical errors or incomprehensible queries.
1. Clarify (Rarely Needed - Prefer Autonomy)
DEFAULT: Proceed autonomously. Derive assumptions from query signals.
ONLY ask if CRITICALLY ambiguous:
- Query is incomprehensible (e.g., "analyze the thing")
- Contradictory requirements (e.g., "quick 50-source ultradeep analysis")
- Critical compliance/regulatory scope unclear
When in doubt: PROCEED with standard mode. User will redirect if incorrect.
Default assumptions:
- Company analysis -> Assume investor/analyst audience
- Sector query -> Assume comprehensive market view needed
- Valuation query -> Assume institutional-quality analysis
- Regulatory query -> Assume US jurisdiction unless specified
- Standard mode is default for most queries
2. Plan
Mode selection criteria:
- Quick (2-5 min): Market snapshot, earnings preview, quick check
- Standard (5-10 min): Most analysis, balanced depth/speed [DEFAULT]
- Deep (10-20 min): Investment decisions, detailed due diligence
- UltraDeep (20-45 min): M&A due diligence, comprehensive sector analysis
Announce plan and execute:
- Briefly state: selected mode, estimated time, number of sources
- Example: "Starting standard mode financial research (5-10 min, 15-30 sources)"
- Proceed without waiting for approval
3. Act (Phase Execution)
All modes execute:
- Phase 1: SCOPE - Define financial analysis boundaries (method)
- Phase 3: RETRIEVE - Parallel financial data gathering (5-10 concurrent searches + agents) (method)
- Phase 8: PACKAGE - Generate report using template
Standard/Deep/UltraDeep execute:
- Phase 2: PLAN - Financial research strategy formulation
- Phase 4: TRIANGULATE - Verify 3+ sources per financial claim
- Phase 4.5: OUTLINE REFINEMENT - Adapt structure based on evidence (WebWeaver 2025) (method)
- Phase 5: SYNTHESIZE - Generate investment insights
Deep/UltraDeep execute:
- Phase 6: CRITIQUE - Risk analysis and bear case
- Phase 7: REFINE - Address gaps, strengthen thesis
Critical: Avoid "Loss in the Middle"
- Place key findings at START and END of sections, not buried
- Use explicit headers and markers
- Structure: Summary > Details > Conclusion (not Details sandwiched)
Progressive Context Loading:
- Load methodology sections on-demand
- Load template only for Phase 8
- Do not inline everything - reference external files
Anti-Hallucination Protocol (CRITICAL for Financial Data):
- Source grounding: Every financial claim MUST cite a specific source immediately [N]
- Clear boundaries: Distinguish between FACTS (from filings/data) and ANALYSIS (your interpretation)
- Explicit markers: Use "According to [1]..." or "[1] reports..." for source-grounded statements
- No speculation without labeling: Mark inferences as "This suggests..." not "Data shows..."
- Verify before citing: If unsure whether source actually says X, do NOT fabricate citation
- When uncertain: Say "No sources found for X" rather than inventing references
- Financial precision: Always include specific numbers, dates, and currency when available
Parallel Execution Requirements (CRITICAL for Speed):
Phase 3 RETRIEVE - Mandatory Parallel Financial Search:
- Decompose query into 5-10 independent search angles before ANY searches
- Launch ALL searches in single message with multiple tool calls (NOT sequential)
- Quality threshold monitoring for FFS pattern:
- Track source count and avg credibility score
- Proceed when threshold reached (mode-specific, see methodology)
- Continue background searches for additional depth
- Spawn 3-5 parallel agents using Task tool for deep-dive investigations
Financial Search Decomposition Strategy:
[Single message with 8+ parallel tool calls]
WebSearch #1: Company fundamentals + recent filings
WebSearch #2: Earnings/financial performance
WebSearch #3: Industry/sector analysis
WebSearch #4: Competitive landscape
WebSearch #5: Regulatory/compliance news
WebSearch #6: Analyst ratings/price targets
WebSearch #7: Risk factors/bear case
WebSearch #8: Recent news + catalysts
Task agent #1: SEC filing deep dive (10-K, 10-Q analysis)
Task agent #2: Financial statement analysis
Task agent #3: Industry comparison/benchmarking
4. Verify (Always Execute)
Step 1: Citation Verification (Catches Fabricated Sources)
python scripts/verify_citations.py --report [path]
Financial-Specific Checks:
- SEC filing references (verify EDGAR links)
- Financial data accuracy (cross-check key metrics)
- Date accuracy (earnings dates, filing dates)
- Flags suspicious entries (future financials, impossible metrics)
If suspicious citations found:
- Review flagged entries manually
- Remove or replace fabricated sources
- Re-run until clean
Step 2: Structure & Quality Validation
python scripts/validate_report.py --report [path]
9 automated checks (financial-enhanced):
- Executive summary length (50-250 words)
- Required sections present (+ recommended: Risk Factors, Valuation)
- Citations formatted [1], [2], [3]
- Bibliography matches citations
- No placeholder text (TBD, TODO)
- Word count reasonable (500-10000)
- Minimum 10 sources
- No broken internal links
- Financial data consistency (dates, currencies, units)
If fails:
- Attempt 1: Auto-fix formatting/links
- Attempt 2: Manual review + correction
- After 2 failures: STOP > Report issues > Ask user
5. Report
CRITICAL: Generate COMPREHENSIVE, DETAILED financial markdown reports
File Organization (CRITICAL - Clean Accessibility):
1. Create Organized Folder in /code:
- ALWAYS create dedicated folder:
/code/[TickerOrTopic]_Financial_Research_[YYYYMMDD]/
- Extract clean topic name from research question
- Examples:
- "AAPL investment analysis" ->
/code/AAPL_Financial_Research_20251104/
- "compare cloud providers" ->
/code/Cloud_Sector_Analysis_20251104/
- "fintech due diligence" ->
/code/Fintech_Due_Diligence_20251104/
- If folder exists, use it; if not, create it
- This ensures clean organization and easy accessibility
2. Save All Formats to Same Folder:
Markdown (Primary Source):
- Save to:
[Documents folder]/financial_report_[YYYYMMDD]_[topic_slug].md
- Also save copy to:
/code/research_output/ (internal tracking)
- Full detailed report with all findings
HTML (McKinsey Style - ALWAYS GENERATE):
- Save to:
[Documents folder]/financial_report_[YYYYMMDD]_[topic_slug].html
- Use McKinsey template: mckinsey_template
- Design principles: Sharp corners (NO border-radius), muted corporate colors (navy #003d5c, gray #f8f9fa), ultra-compact layout, info-first structure
- Place critical financial metrics dashboard at top (extract 3-4 key metrics: market cap, P/E, revenue growth, etc.)
- Use data tables for dense financial information
- 14px base font, compact spacing, no decorative gradients or colors
- OPEN in browser automatically after generation
PDF (Professional Print - ALWAYS GENERATE):
- Save to:
[Documents folder]/financial_report_[YYYYMMDD]_[topic_slug].pdf
- Use generating-pdf skill (via Task tool with general-purpose agent)
- Professional formatting with headers, page numbers
- OPEN in default PDF viewer after generation
3. File Naming Convention:
All files use same base name for easy matching:
financial_report_20251104_aapl_analysis.mdfinancial_report_20251104_aapl_analysis.htmlfinancial_report_20251104_aapl_analysis.pdf
Length Requirements (UNLIMITED with Progressive Assembly):
- Quick mode: 2,000+ words (baseline quality threshold)
- Standard mode: 4,000+ words (comprehensive analysis)
- Deep mode: 6,000+ words (thorough investigation)
- UltraDeep mode: 10,000-50,000+ words (NO UPPER LIMIT)
How Unlimited Length Works:
Progressive file assembly allows ANY report length by generating section-by-section.
Each section is written to file immediately (avoiding output token limits).
Complex analyses with many findings? Generate 20, 30, 50+ findings - no constraint!
Content Requirements:
- Use template as exact structure
- Generate each section to APPROPRIATE depth (determined by evidence, not word targets)
- Include specific financial data, statistics, dates, numbers
- Multiple paragraphs per finding with evidence
- Each section gets focused generation attention
- DO NOT write summaries - write FULL analysis
Writing Standards (Financial Precision):
- Data-driven: Every claim backed by specific numbers from sources
- Precision: Exact figures with currency, dates, and units
- Economy: No fluff, eliminate unnecessary modifiers
- Clarity: Financial terminology used correctly and consistently
- Directness: State findings without embellishment
- High signal-to-noise: Dense information, respect reader's time
- Examples:
- Bad: "revenue increased significantly" -> Good: "revenue grew 23% YoY to $94.8B in FY2024 [1]"
- Bad: "strong margins" -> Good: "gross margin of 43.2%, up 180bps YoY [2]"
- Bad: "expensive valuation" -> Good: "trades at 28x forward P/E vs sector median 22x [3]"
Source Attribution Standards (Critical for Financial Research):
- Immediate citation: Every financial claim followed by [N] citation in same sentence
- Quote sources directly: Use "According to [1]..." or "[1] reports..." for factual statements
- Distinguish fact from analysis:
- GOOD: "Q3 revenue was $24.9B, up 8% YoY [1]."
- BAD: "Revenue grew strongly last quarter."
- No vague attributions:
- NEVER: "Analysts believe...", "Market expects...", "Sources indicate..."
- ALWAYS: "Goldman Sachs estimates..." [1], "Per SEC 10-K filing..." [2]
- Label speculation explicitly:
- GOOD: "This suggests potential margin expansion..." (analysis, not fact)
- BAD: "Margins will expand..." (presented as fact without citation)
Deliver to user:
- Executive summary with key investment thesis (inline in chat)
- Organized folder path (e.g., "All files saved to: /code/AAPL_Financial_Research_20251104/")
- Confirmation of all three formats generated:
- Markdown (source)
- HTML (McKinsey-style, opened in browser)
- PDF (professional print, opened in viewer)
- Source quality assessment summary (source count, regulatory vs news mix)
- Key financial metrics summary
- Risk factors summary
- Next steps (if relevant)
Generation Workflow: Progressive File Assembly (Unlimited Length)
[Same progressive assembly workflow as base skill - see deep-research SKILL.md]
Financial Data Sources (Priority Order)
Tier 1: Primary/Regulatory Sources (Highest Credibility)
- SEC EDGAR: 10-K, 10-Q, 8-K, proxy statements, insider filings
- Federal Reserve: FRED data, monetary policy, banking data
- FDIC/OCC: Banking regulation, call reports
- Treasury: Economic data, fiscal policy
- Company IR: Investor relations, earnings calls, presentations
- Exchange Filings: NYSE, NASDAQ company disclosures
Tier 2: Financial Data Providers (High Credibility)
- Bloomberg: Real-time data, analysis, news
- Reuters: News, data, analysis
- S&P Global: Ratings, research, Capital IQ data
- Moody's/Fitch: Credit ratings, research
- FactSet: Financial data, analytics
- Morningstar: Fund data, equity research
- PitchBook: Private market data, VC/PE
Tier 3: Financial News & Research (Moderate-High Credibility)
- Wall Street Journal: Business news, analysis
- Financial Times: Global finance news
- Barron's: Investment analysis
- Institutional research: Goldman, Morgan Stanley, JPM research
- Industry publications: American Banker, Insurance Journal
Tier 4: General Business Sources (Moderate Credibility)
- CNBC, Yahoo Finance: Market news (verify with primary sources)
- Seeking Alpha: Analysis (note: user-generated, verify claims)
- Industry blogs: Supplement only, not primary citation
Source Verification Requirements:
- Tier 1 sources: Can cite directly, highest trust
- Tier 2 sources: Reliable, cross-check major claims
- Tier 3 sources: Good for analysis, verify data with Tier 1-2
- Tier 4 sources: Use sparingly, always verify with higher tiers
Output Contract
Format: Comprehensive financial markdown report following template EXACTLY
Required sections (all must be detailed):
- Executive Summary with Investment Thesis (50-250 words)
- Company/Topic Overview (background, business model)
- Financial Analysis (revenue, margins, cash flow, balance sheet)
- Valuation Analysis (multiples, DCF if applicable, peer comparison)
- Competitive Position (market share, moat, competitive dynamics)
- Risk Factors (business, financial, regulatory, market risks)
- Investment Thesis / Recommendations
- Bibliography (CRITICAL - see rules below)
- Methodology Appendix
Financial-Specific Sections (include when relevant):
- Earnings Analysis (quarterly trends, guidance vs actual)
- Management Assessment (track record, insider activity)
- Regulatory Environment (compliance, pending regulation)
- ESG Considerations (if material to thesis)
- Catalyst Timeline (upcoming events, catalysts)
Bibliography Requirements (ZERO TOLERANCE):
- MUST include EVERY citation [N] used in report body
- Format: [N] Source (Date). "Title". Publication/Filing. URL (Retrieved: Date)
- Each entry on its own line, complete with all metadata
- NO placeholders, NO ranges, NO truncation
- Validation WILL FAIL if bibliography is incomplete
Strictly Prohibited:
- Placeholder text (TBD, TODO, [citation needed])
- Uncited financial claims
- Forward-looking statements presented as facts
- Broken links
- Missing required sections
- Short summaries instead of detailed analysis
- Vague statements without specific data
Quality gates (enforced by validator):
- Minimum 2,000 words (standard mode)
- Average credibility score >70/100 (higher bar for financial)
- 3+ sources per major financial claim
- Clear facts vs. analysis distinction
- All sections present and detailed
- Key financial metrics included with sources
Error Handling & Stop Rules
Stop immediately if:
- 2 validation failures on same error > Pause, report, ask user
- <5 sources after exhaustive search > Report limitation, request direction
- Critical financial data unavailable > Note gap, proceed with caveats
- User interrupts/changes scope > Confirm new direction
Graceful degradation:
- 5-10 sources > Note in limitations, proceed with extra verification
- Missing recent filing > Note, use most recent available
- Private company (limited data) > Acknowledge, use available sources
- Time constraint reached > Package partial results, document gaps
Error format:
Issue: [Description]
Context: [What was attempted]
Tried: [Resolution attempts]
Options:
1. [Option 1]
2. [Option 2]
3. [Option 3]
Quality Standards (Always Enforce)
Every financial report must:
- 10+ sources (document if fewer)
- 3+ sources per major financial claim
- Executive summary <250 words with clear thesis
- Full citations with URLs to filings/sources
- Credibility assessment (source tier breakdown)
- Risk factors section
- Methodology documented
- Key metrics with sources
- No placeholders
Priority: Accuracy over speed. Financial data must be verified.
Inputs & Assumptions
Required:
- Financial research question (string)
Optional:
- Mode (quick/standard/deep/ultradeep)
- Time constraints
- Specific data requirements (valuation focus, risk focus, etc.)
- Output format preferences
- Jurisdiction (default: US)
Assumptions:
- User requires verified, citation-backed financial information
- Institutional-quality analysis expected
- 10-50 sources available on topic
- Time investment: 5-45 minutes
- USD unless otherwise specified
- US regulatory framework unless specified
When to Use / NOT Use
Use when:
- Investment analysis (buy/sell/hold thesis)
- Company due diligence
- Sector/industry deep dives
- M&A analysis
- Competitive benchmarking
- Earnings analysis
- Regulatory impact assessment
- Financial modeling research
Do NOT use:
- Simple stock quotes (use WebSearch)
- Basic company lookups (use WebSearch)
- Real-time trading decisions (need live data)
- Personal financial advice (not qualified)
- Tax/legal advice (not qualified)
Scripts (Offline, Python stdlib only)
Location: ./scripts/
- research_engine.py - Orchestration engine
- validate_report.py - Quality validation (9 checks, financial-enhanced)
- citation_manager.py - Citation tracking
- source_evaluator.py - Financial source credibility scoring (0-100)
- verify_citations.py - Citation verification with SEC filing checks
No external dependencies required.
Progressive References (Load On-Demand)
Do not inline these - reference only:
Context Management: Load files on-demand for current phase only. Do not preload all content.
Dynamic Execution Zone
User Query Processing:
[User financial research question will be inserted here during execution]
Retrieved Information:
[Search results and sources will be accumulated here]
Generated Analysis:
[Findings, synthesis, and report content generated here]
Note: This section remains empty in the skill definition. Content populated during runtime only.
