Primer Studio for sell-side analysts

A simple guide to getting set up properly

The Basics

First, add the companies you cover. This is often done during onboarding. If you’re not sure whether this has been done, ask Primer: “Have I set up the companies I cover and how I like to work?” Primer will tell you what is already set up and what is missing.

01Core Coverage

Add the companies you cover.

Core Coverage is the list of companies you actively cover. Primer uses it to organise your work and alerts.

Do this

01
Open Companies and select Core Coverage.
02
Choose Add companies. Paste tickers, ISINs or company names. You can also attach an Excel workbook.
03
Send the list. Primer will add the companies it can match and show you anything it could not find. Correct those entries and try again.
04
Easier way: open Launchpad, paste the prompt below, then paste your ticker list underneath it.

Try this

Paste this prompt into Launchpad, followed by your ticker or company-name list.

“Add these companies to Core Coverage. Add the clear matches and list anything you cannot match.”

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02My Instructions

Set the rules Primer should follow every time.

My Instructions is the standing brief Primer reads before every session. Put any preference here that should apply across all your work.

Do this

01
Open Customize, then expand My Instructions.
02
Add the rules you want Primer to follow everywhere. These might cover language, dates, currencies, units, which sources to trust first, and when Primer should ask before making an assumption.
03
Keep the list short, then test it in a new session. Remove anything that only belongs to one company or one type of task.

Try this

Start a new agent session, then paste this prompt.

“Help me write My Instructions. Ask me about language, date and number formats, currencies and units, which sources to trust first, how to handle missing context, when to ask before making an assumption, and how to separate reported facts from my analysis. Keep only rules that should apply to every session.”

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03Company Memory

Teach Primer how you think.

Upload 3 to 5 recent notes for each company you cover. This is the quickest way for Primer to learn your current views and start producing work to a standard you recognise. For a typical coverage list, that is about 45 documents in total.

Do this

01
Start a new session and tag one company. Attach 3 to 5 recent research PDFs that your firm allows you to use. You can upload them all at once.
02
Tell Primer: “These are the last 3 to 5 research notes I published on @Company. Save them so you have context on my current view.”
03
Primer will save the useful information to Company Memory, so it understands how you are thinking about the company now.

Try this

“These are the last 3 to 5 research notes I published on @Company. Save them so you have context on my current view.”

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04Skills

Turn a repeatable workflow into a Skill.

Use Skills for work you do again and again, such as your morning note or a recurring screen. A Skill remembers the steps, inputs and checks so Primer can run the same process each time.

Do this

01
Choose a workflow you repeat often, such as your morning note, a results-day screen or a weekly sector screen.
02
Open Customize, expand Skills and choose Build a skill. Upload five recent morning notes so Primer can see how you structure and write them. Ask it to learn the repeatable workflow and turn it into a Skill.
03
Test the Skill in a new agent session on a company or sector you know well. Correct anything it missed, then save it for next time.

Try this

“I have attached five recent morning notes. Use them to learn how I structure and write the note, then help me turn that repeatable workflow into a Skill. Ask me about anything that is unclear before you build it.”

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Prepare before the event

Results Day Setup

How to get yourself set up to improve your Results Day workflow.

05Preview

Prepare for results before they arrive.

Primer automatically generates a Preview one week before results. Use it to help write your own preview. If you need it earlier, follow the steps below.

Do this

01
Check Reports or Library for the Preview Primer generates one week before results.
02
If you need it earlier, open Reports, choose New report, select the company and Preview, then Generate.
03
Use the Primer Preview to help write your own preview. Compare it with your house expectations and decide which numbers and questions matter most.
04
When your preview is finished, start a new company session and upload it. Tell Primer: “This is the preview I published ahead of results. Save it so you know what I was expecting.”

Try this

“Use the latest Primer Preview for @Company and the attached house expectations to help me write my own preview. Show the three factors most likely to change our estimates, the evidence we expect to see, the most important questions for management and what would make us change our view.”

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06First Read Skill

Build a Skill for your first reads.

The Skills section above explains the general setup. For this Skill, give Primer five first reads from different companies so it learns both how you write them and how you decide what matters.

Do this

01
Start a new agent session and upload five first reads you have published on different companies.
02
Tell Primer these are examples of your results-day first reads. Ask it to learn the structure and tone, as well as how you choose which beats, misses, KPIs, guidance changes and questions matter.
03
Ask Primer to create a Skill called First Read. It can use the existing Earnings Review Skill for inspiration or call it as part of the workflow.
04
Start a new agent session and type “@First Read” and “@Company”. Ask Primer to run the Skill on an old set of results, then correct anything it misses before you use it live.
05
On results day, run the Skill with the latest results, your house expectations and your Preview. After the call, add the call transcript or Call Briefing so it can update the draft.

Try this

“I have attached five first reads I published on different companies. Help me create a Skill called First Read. Learn how I structure and write the output, but also how I decide which numbers, guidance changes and questions matter. Use the existing Earnings Review Skill for inspiration, or call it as part of the workflow where useful. Ask me questions before you build it.”

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07Event-driven Routine

Run your First Read Skill automatically.

Get Primer to write your first read automatically, within five minutes of a company in your coverage reporting.

Do this

01
Make sure your First Read Skill is ready. Upload your latest published preview for each company before results so Primer knows what you were expecting.
02
Start a new agent session and ask it to create an event-driven Routine for your whole Core Coverage.
03
Tell Primer to run “@First Read” for “@Company” whenever a new results filing arrives. Ask it to email you the draft and flag anything it could not verify.
04
Ask Primer to show you the proposed Routine before it saves it. Check the coverage group, event type, Skill and email setting.

Try this

“Set up an event-driven Routine for my whole Core Coverage. Whenever a new results filing arrives, run @First Read for @Company using the latest uploaded preview and house expectations. Email me the draft, cite every number and flag anything that needs checking. Show me the setup before you save it.”

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Build the work over time

Get help writing your sector piece

Most analysts have to write a big sector piece each year, and the research can be a real burden. Primer can help you find the theme, then collect evidence and useful snippets while you sleep. When you come to write, much of the research is already there.

08Theme-finding Routine

Ask Primer to find the themes each week.

The first Routine scans your Core Coverage, or a list of tickers, starts to gather potential themes and writes every weekly update into one sector Note.

Do this

01
Start a new agent session. Give Primer your Core Coverage or a ticker list. Explain what the sector piece needs to achieve and any corporate relationships it should understand.
02
Ask Primer to create one Note called Sector Themes. This will be the single document both Routines update.
03
Ask the agent to create a weekly Routine that looks across the companies for recurring themes in filings, calls, news and public data.
04
Tell the Routine to write every run to Sector Themes. For each theme, include the companies involved, useful snippets, source links and why the theme may matter.

Try this

“Create a theme-finding Routine for my Core Coverage that runs every Wednesday at 4pm. If Core Coverage is not available, use the ticker list I attach. My annual sector piece needs to [explain the aim]. Be aware of these corporate relationships: [add any relationships]. Create one Note called Sector Themes and write every weekly update there. Find recurring themes across the companies, add useful snippets and source links, and explain why each theme may matter.”

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09Evidence Routine

Build the evidence behind each theme.

The second Routine reads the same Note each week, builds company, macro and micro evidence for every theme, then recommends the strongest theme and explains why.

Do this

01
Ask the agent to create a second weekly Routine that reads the Sector Themes Note.
02
For each theme, ask it to find company evidence, macro evidence and micro or industry evidence. Keep the strongest snippets and clear source links.
03
Tell it to add the evidence beneath the right theme in the same Note, with the date of each update.
04
Ask it to compare the themes and say which one it thinks would make the best sector piece and why. It should also explain what evidence could weaken that choice.

Try this

“Create a second weekly Routine that reads the Sector Themes Note and uses my Core Coverage as the relevant company list. If Core Coverage is not available, use the ticker list I attach. For every theme, collect company, macro and micro or industry evidence, with useful snippets and source links. Add the evidence beneath the right theme in the same Note. Then rank the themes, recommend which one would make the strongest sector piece and explain why, including the evidence that could prove that choice wrong.”

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Alternative data

Pull alternative data for your company or sector

Ask Primer to pull the public data series that matter to your work. An auto analyst might track monthly German and Italian car registrations by brand to see changes in demand and market share.

10Data Workspace

Build a data series Primer can update for you.

If the data is public on the internet, Primer can retrieve it. Give Primer the source website when you can, then ask it to update the series automatically and tell you what changed.

Watch the video walkthrough: How to use data within Primer

Do this

01
Start with the research question and give Primer the source website if you know it. For example: “Pull monthly German and Italian new-car registrations by brand so I can compare demand and market share.”
02
Ask Primer to pull the full history into a Data Workspace. Before it analyses the data, check the coverage, units, frequency, release dates and any changes in definition.
03
Ask Primer to run a time-series analysis and line the alternative data up with the relevant company KPI. Test whether the relationship is useful, including any lag between the series and the reported KPI.
04
If the relationship is strong, ask Primer what the latest data might mean for company guidance or consensus. It should show the evidence and explain how confident it is.
05
Ask the agent to create a Routine that checks the source after each new release, updates the Data Workspace, reruns the analysis and lets you know what changed.

Try this

“Use [source website] to retrieve the public monthly new-car registration data for Germany and Italy by manufacturer or brand. Build a Data Workspace showing total registrations, Volkswagen Group registrations and market share by country. Record each source, definition and release date. Compare the series with @Company’s relevant reported KPI using time-series analysis, including any useful lag. If the relationship is strong, explain what the latest release might mean for guidance or consensus and how confident you are. Then create a Routine that checks for each new release, updates the analysis and lets me know what changed.”

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More ways to use Primer

Read the other Primer playbooks.

Find more guides for company research, results day and thematic work.

01How to turn memory offRead playbook 02How to write a company initiationRead playbook 03Probability Weighted Range Of OutcomesRead playbook 04How to use Data within PrimerRead playbook 05Coverage listRead playbook 06Management Credibility CheckRead playbook 07Trading NarrativesRead playbook 08Company Quality ExplorationRead playbook 09Results Day Accounting CheckRead playbook 10Angle ExplorationRead playbook 11Guidance Sanity CheckRead playbook 12Thematic viewRead playbook 13Recent reportingRead playbook 14Missed signalsRead playbook