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The Primer playbook

Primer Reports

Find the reports that matter to your question and use them in your own research.

Guide 01

What Primer Reports contains and when to use it

Primer Reports gives you a starting point for company research. Choose a report that fits your question, then use its evidence in your own work.

  1. Primer

    An overview of the company: what it sells, how it makes money, its financials, risks and the main investment debates. Start here when you are new to a business or need to refresh your understanding.

  2. News

    A review of recent news and announcements. Use it to understand what has changed and what may matter for the company.

  3. Read-across

    Research on what other companies’ results and comments might tell you about this company. For example, a customer’s spending plans may help explain a supplier’s demand.

  4. Preview

    Research to help you prepare for results. It brings together the company background, recent news and evidence from other companies so you can decide what to watch.

  5. Past Briefing

    A way to find briefings on past company filings and calls. Use them to revisit what the company said at an earlier point in time.

Do this

  1. Expand Companies in the left-hand panel and open Reports.
  2. Search for a company you know and open a report. Check its type, date and reporting period.
  3. Read the report’s sources as well as its conclusions. Decide which findings matter to your question.
Reports is under Companies in the left-hand panel.
Reports nested under Companies in the left-hand panel

Reports is under Companies in the left-hand panel.

Guide 02

Find the right report for a company or question

Start with the company and the question. A recent News report and a past results briefing answer different needs.

Do this

  1. Open Companies → Reports. Use Search by company and select the company you want.
  2. Use the report type filters to narrow the list. Open a report and check its date before reading it.
  3. If you need a new report, click New report. Choose the company and report type, review the details and credit cost shown, then click Generate.
  4. For an earlier filing or call, open New report and choose Past Briefing. Select the relevant document from the available list.
Search for a company, then choose the report type you need.
Reports page with company search and report type filters

Search for a company, then choose the report type you need.

New report opens this form. Choose the company and report type, then review the cost before generating.
Generate a report dialog with company search and Primer, Read-across, News, Preview and Past Briefing choices

New report opens this form. Choose the company and report type, then review the cost before generating.

Try this

“For @Company, find the available Primer Reports that help answer [question]. Give me each report’s title, type, date and link, explain why it is relevant, and say where the available reports do not cover the question. Use existing reports for this request.”

Guide 03

Use Reports to prepare for results

Use a Preview to decide what you need to learn from the next release and call. Bring your own expectations so the questions reflect your view.

Do this

  1. Find the company’s latest Preview in Reports. Check that it is for the upcoming results event you are researching.
  2. Start a new session and name the Preview with its date. Attach your model or written expectations.
  3. Ask Primer to compare the Preview with your expectations and identify the figures, guidance and management comments that matter most.
  4. Read the supporting sources, adjust the questions and save your agreed preparation as a Note.
Try this

“Use the Primer Preview for @Company dated [date] and my attached [model or expectations] to prepare for [results event]. Give me the five things to watch, the evidence that would support or challenge my view, and focused questions for management. Separate consensus, my estimates and company guidance wherever they are available.”

Guide 04

Take findings into deeper research, modelling or a routine

When you are reading a report, use the floating chat beneath it to ask follow-up questions. Start with a finding you want to understand better, then connect it to your research, model or a routine.

Do this

  1. Open a report and choose a finding you want to explore.
  2. Use the floating chat beneath the report. Ask Primer to explain the finding and investigate the underlying evidence.
  3. Continue in the chat with follow-up questions. If you want to relate the finding to your own model, add it and ask which assumptions could be affected. Review the evidence before deciding whether to change them.
  4. If you want the question checked regularly, ask Primer to help turn it into a routine. Explain which companies to cover, when it should run and what you want in the report. Save useful one-off work as a Note.
Keep the report open. The floating chat sits over the bottom of the report.
Marston’s Preview report open with the floating Ask anything chat at the bottom

Keep the report open. The floating chat sits over the bottom of the report.

Type a follow-up question about a finding, then send it using the arrow. Here, the question asks why profit forecasts are holding up despite weaker sales.
Marston’s Preview still visible behind the floating chat, with a question about profit forecasts typed into it

Type a follow-up question about a finding, then send it using the arrow. Here, the question asks why profit forecasts are holding up despite weaker sales.

Try this

Try this in the floating chat beneath the report.

“Investigate this report’s finding that [finding]. Explain why it matters, the evidence supporting and challenging it, and what it could mean for the company’s outlook. Suggest one focused follow-up question and, if useful, a recurring check.”

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