Prompt lesson · 24 prompts
Financial Analysis prompts for Managing Directors
24 ready-to-use prompts from our AI for Managing Directors course. Copy one, fill in the {{placeholders}}, and paste it into ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or any other AI.
Analyze Capital Structure
Use this when you need to evaluate a company's mix of debt and equity financing, assess financial stability, and compare against industry benchmarks.
Role You are a corporate finance analyst specializing in capital structure optimization. Your goal is to analyze a company's current debt and equity mix, evaluate financial health, and recommend adjustments to minimize cost of capital and maximize shareholder value.
Context you provide
- {{company name}} – The name of the company to analyze.
- {{financial statements}} – The company's most recent balance sheet, income statement, and cash flow statement (or key figures if full statements are not available).
- {{industry benchmarks}} – Optional: industry average debt-to-equity ratios or target capital structures.
- {{strategic objectives}} – Optional: the company's growth plans, dividend policy, or risk tolerance.
Instructions
- Ask the user for the company name and financial data. If financial statements are not provided, request key figures such as total debt, total equity, interest expense, and net income.
- Calculate key capital structure metrics: debt-to-equity ratio, debt ratio, interest coverage ratio, and weighted average cost of capital (WACC) if possible.
- Analyze the maturity profile of debt and any covenants that may restrict flexibility.
- Compare the company's capital structure to industry averages and consider the company's life cycle and risk profile.
- Assess the impact of the current structure on financial stability, cost of capital, and future financing capacity.
- Provide recommendations for optimizing the capital structure, such as adjusting leverage, refinancing, or altering dividend policy, aligned with the company's strategic objectives.
Output format Present the analysis as a professional financial report with sections: Executive Summary, Key Metrics, Debt Maturity and Covenants, Industry Comparison, Impact Assessment, and Recommendations. Use tables for metrics and clear language. Keep the response between 400–600 words.
Guardrails Do not give investment advice or make price predictions. Base all calculations on provided data; if data is missing, note assumptions. Clearly state any limitations of the analysis (e.g., lack of market data for WACC). Recommend consulting with a financial advisor for final decisions.
Example Company name: Tesla Inc. – Financial statements: (provide key figures from 2023 10-K) – Industry benchmarks: automotive industry average D/E ratio 1.5 – Strategic objectives: aggressive growth, reinvestment of profits.
Open this prompt Analysis · Advanced
Analyze Investment Opportunities
Use this when you need to evaluate a company's financial health, market position, or sector trends to support an investment decision.
Role You are an investment analyst who evaluates financial and market data to help decision-makers assess opportunities. You optimise for objective, decision-ready analysis that highlights both potential returns and risks.
Context you provide
- {{company_or_sector}} — the company name, ticker, or industry you want analysed.
- {{financial_data}} — optional: financial statements, key metrics, or a link/reference to where they can be found.
- {{investment_question}} — what you need to decide: e.g., buy/hold/pass, valuation, growth potential, or risk.
Instructions
- Confirm the company or sector and the specific investment question before starting.
- If financial statements are provided, calculate or interpret profitability, liquidity, and solvency ratios; note trends over at least two periods.
- If only a sector is named, summarise market trends, growth drivers, competitive dynamics, government policies, and technological shifts.
- Identify the most promising investment opportunities or red flags within the given scope.
- Apply a simple framework: strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, threats, plus key risks and open questions.
Output format Present a structured analysis with sections: Snapshot, Financial/Market Assessment, Opportunities, Risks, and Recommendation. Use tables where useful, keep the tone neutral and professional, and end with a clear verdict or list of prioritised options.
Guardrails
- Do not present estimates as proven facts; label assumptions and data sources clearly.
- Do not give personalised financial advice or a guaranteed recommendation.
- Stay within the company or sector scope you were given; ask before expanding.
Example Company/sector: "Nexora Technologies" with annual reports for FY2023–FY2024; investment question: "Should we invest $5M for a 10% stake?"
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Assess and Mitigate Financial Risks
Use this when you need to analyze financial risks (market, credit, operational) and develop a mitigation strategy.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Build Financial Forecast Models
Use this when you need to analyze historical financial data and build forecasting models that identify trends, risks, and opportunities for strategic decision-making.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Capital Structure Analysis and Optimization
Use this when you need to analyze your company's capital structure and recommend an optimal debt-equity mix to maximize shareholder value.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Cash Flow Analysis and Benchmarking
Use this when you need to analyze a company's historical cash flows, identify trends, and compare performance against industry benchmarks.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Cash Flow Management
Use this when you need to develop a cash flow management system to optimize working capital and improve liquidity.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Company Valuation Analysis
Use this when you need to estimate the value of a company using discounted cash flow (DCF) or comparable company analysis (CCA).
Open this prompt Analysis · Advanced
Comprehensive Budget and Financial Forecast Development
Use this when you need to develop a budget and financial forecast based on historical data, market trends, and strategic objectives, highlighting cost optimisation and revenue growth opportunities.
Open this prompt Planning · Intermediate
Cost Optimization Analysis
Use this when you need to analyze a company's cost structure and identify actionable ways to reduce spending without hurting quality.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Evaluate Merger or Acquisition Target
Use this when you need to assess a potential acquisition target's financial health, market position, synergies, and risks to support decision-making.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Financial Compliance Monitoring Framework
Use this when you need to develop a system to monitor financial compliance and identify potential non-compliance issues.
Open this prompt Creating · Intermediate
Financial Cost Analysis and Benchmarking
Use this when you need to evaluate your company's cost structure, identify inefficiencies, and compare against industry benchmarks to find savings opportunities.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Financial Forecasting Model
Use this when you need to generate revenue and expense projections for strategic planning based on historical data and market trends.
Open this prompt Planning · Intermediate
Financial Performance Dashboard
Use this when you need to design a real-time financial dashboard that tracks key metrics and supports ad-hoc analysis.
Open this prompt Creating · Intermediate
Financial Ratio Analysis
Use this when you need a comprehensive financial ratio analysis of a company, comparing liquidity, profitability, and solvency metrics against industry benchmarks.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Financial Ratio Analysis and Interpretation
Use this when you need to calculate and interpret key financial ratios to evaluate a company's liquidity, profitability, and efficiency.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Financial Reporting
Use this when you need to prepare or analyze financial statements such as income statements, balance sheets, and cash flow statements.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Financial Risk Analysis Report
Use this when you need to identify, evaluate, and mitigate financial risks from company operations, investments, and decisions.
Open this prompt Analysis · Advanced
Financial Statement Analysis
Use this when you need to analyze financial statements to assess a company's health and performance over time.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Financial Trend Analysis
Use this when you need to identify and interpret trends in financial data to inform strategic decisions and forecasts.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Industry and Market Analysis
Use this when you need a comprehensive analysis of industry trends, competitor positioning, and market opportunities to inform strategic decisions.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate
Mergers and Acquisitions Due Diligence
Use this when you need to conduct financial due diligence and analyze the strategic impact of a potential merger, acquisition, or divestiture.
Open this prompt Analysis · Advanced
Variance Analysis of Financial Performance
Use this when you need to analyze differences between actual financial results and budgeted or forecasted figures to identify performance drivers.
Open this prompt Analysis · Intermediate