| name | workflow-er-idea-screening |
| description | WHAT: Quantitative and thematic investment idea generation — applying Piotroski F-Score, Beneish M-Score, FCF yield, ROIC vs WACC, and revenue growth filters to a broad universe, then overlaying thematic qualitative criteria to produce a ranked list of deep-dive candidates with one-paragraph thesis summaries.
WHEN: Invoke when generating new investment ideas for a coverage universe or sector, performing quantitative stock screening, or responding to a mandate such as "find quality growth names in [sector]" or "screen for value with fundamental momentum".
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Equity Research: Investment Idea Screening
What this skill covers
A two-stage funnel — quantitative filters followed by thematic overlay — that narrows a broad universe to a ranked shortlist of deep-dive candidates. Each surviving candidate receives a one-paragraph thesis summary and a composite score.
Inputs
- Universe definition: broad index, sector, or custom ticker list
- Thematic mandate (optional): sector focus, factor tilt (quality, value, growth, momentum), or ESG constraint
- Screening stringency: standard (Piotroski >= 7, Beneish < -1.78) or custom thresholds
Workflow
Step 1 — Define the universe
Start with the broadest feasible universe. Options:
- A sector via
fmp_stock_screener (filter by sector, market cap floor)
- An index via
fmp_index_constituents
- A custom ticker list provided by the user
Record the starting universe count.
Stage 1 — Quantitative screens
Apply hard filters sequentially. Record pass/fail count at each gate.
Gate 1: Fundamental quality — Piotroski F-Score
Call piotroski_fscore for each company. Pass criterion: score >= 7 (strong fundamentals on profitability, leverage, and operating efficiency dimensions). Fail: score < 7.
Gate 2: Earnings integrity — Beneish M-Score
Call beneish_mscore for each passing company. Pass criterion: M-Score < -1.78 (no manipulation signal). Fail: M-Score >= -1.78 (potential manipulation — exclude or flag for extra scrutiny).
Gate 3: Value creation — ROIC vs WACC
Call fmp_key_metrics for ROIC. Call wacc_calculator for WACC estimate. Pass criterion: ROIC > WACC (company destroys or creates value). Fail: ROIC <= WACC.
Gate 4: Cash generation — FCF yield and revenue growth
Call fmp_key_metrics for FCF yield. Call fmp_financial_ratios for revenue growth vs sector median. Pass criteria: FCF yield > 5% AND revenue growth > sector median. Fail: either criterion misses.
Record the universe count after Stage 1: [N] companies passed all four gates.
Stage 2 — Thematic overlay (qualitative filters)
For each Stage 1 survivor, apply the thematic mandate:
- Sector trends: is the company operating in an industry with secular tailwinds (not just cyclical recovery)?
- TAM growth: is the addressable market expanding >5% annually? (use industry sources or World Bank data)
- Regulatory tailwinds: are pending policy changes a net positive for this company's model?
- Management alignment: recent insider buying or low turnover at senior level (check
fmp_insider_latest)
Each criterion scores 0 or 1. Minimum thematic score: 2 of 4 to advance to the shortlist.
Stage 3 — Composite ranking
Compute a composite score for each shortlisted company:
composite = (piotroski_fscore / 9 × 0.35) + (fcf_yield_normalised × 0.30) + (roic_spread_normalised × 0.20) + (thematic_score / 4 × 0.15)
Rank all shortlisted companies by composite score. Top 5-10 become deep-dive candidates.
Step 4 — One-paragraph thesis per idea
For each deep-dive candidate, write a one-paragraph thesis:
- Ticker, market cap (from
fmp_market_cap), sector
- Key fundamental strengths (from Piotroski sub-scores)
- Valuation hook (FCF yield, ROIC spread)
- Thematic alignment
- Single-sentence investment thesis
Output format
- Funnel table — universe start count and pass count at each gate
- Shortlist table — ranked by composite score with sub-scores per dimension
- Thesis summaries — one paragraph per deep-dive candidate
- Next steps — which candidates are recommended for full
workflow-er-initiating-coverage
Quality gates
Related skills
workflow-er-initiating-coverage — full coverage initiation for shortlisted candidates
workflow-er-sector-overview — sector context that informs thematic criteria in Stage 2
workflow-er-thesis-tracker — thesis framework applied once a candidate advances to coverage