Halfway Through Earnings Season: Here’s How to Level Up Your Analysis

Good to have you back at AI in Investment Research and Finance — your weekly companion for mastering Artificial Intelligence (AI) prompts in the world of investing.

With earnings season in full swing, sharp questions can make all the difference. Instead of reacting to headlines, smart investors dig deeper — spotting hidden signals, management shifts, and trends the market hasn't fully priced in yet.

Here are a few strategic prompts to help you see beyond the surface this earnings season.

🔍 Strategic Prompts for Earnings Season

🎯 Prompt 1 - Compare recent earnings calls

• Ineffective:
  "Summarize [Company Name]’s earnings call."

  (Too broad — you’ll get a basic overview without meaningful insights.)

• Effective:
  "Act as a senior equity analyst. Summarize the major tone shifts between this quarter’s and last quarter’s earnings call for [Company Name], focusing on changes in growth outlook, risk language and capital allocation priorities. Provide references to specific remarks or slides where applicable."

  (Sharper — assigns a role, focuses on key elements, and demands references.)

🎯 Prompt 2 - Spot hidden financial risks

• Ineffective:
  "What does [Company Name]'s 10-Q say?"

  (Too vague — surface-level summary.)

• Effective:
  "As a credit risk analyst, review the latest 10-Q filing for [Company Name]. Identify any increases in debt, declines in cash flow or contingent liabilities that were not emphasized in the earnings release or call. Provide references to exact sections or tables in the filing."

  (More targeted — specific financial risks and documentation.)

🎯 Prompt 3 - Identify early market reactions

• Ineffective:
  "How did the stock react after earnings?"

  (Generic — doesn’t go deep.)

• Effective:
  "Act as a portfolio strategist. Analyze post-earnings stock price movements for [Company Name] and its key peers over the past three trading days. Highlight divergences between fundamental results and market reactions, and reference major news headlines or analyst commentary where relevant."

  (Strategic — connects fundamentals, price, and sentiment.)

Beyond Earnings: A Broader Look at Market Opportunities
While earnings headlines dominate the short term, it’s important not to lose sight of longer-term structural shifts shaping the market. This week, we highlight a flexible strategy designed to navigate both evolving trends and sector rotations.

iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (MTUM): A Tactical Approach to Earnings-Driven Trends

The iShares MSCI USA Momentum Factor ETF (CBOE:MTUM) targets large- and mid-cap U.S. stocks that have exhibited strong relative price performance. In markets shaped by earnings reports, momentum can be a critical factor, as stocks that beat expectations often continue to outperform over the short to medium term.

As of April 20, 2025, MTUM holds 124 companies, with nearly 80% of its portfolio concentrated in financials, information technology, consumer staples, industrials, and communication services. Top holdings include Walmart (WMT), JPMorgan Chase (JPM), Broadcom (AVGO), Visa (V), and Nvidia (NVDA) — all firms demonstrating strong earnings momentum and positive investor sentiment.

The fund is rebalanced semi-annually based on momentum signals, offering investors a systematic approach to capturing ongoing market leadership. MTUM carries an expense ratio of 0.15%, making it a cost-efficient option within the factor investing space.

Despite a 5.6% year-to-date (YTD) decline, MTUM has held up better than the S&P 500 (down 10.2% YTD) and Nasdaq 100 (down 13.1% YTD). Moreover, it has gained 9% over the past twelve months, highlighting the strength of momentum strategies through market volatility.

For investors looking to capture market leadership during earnings season, MTUM offers a systematic and diversified way to stay aligned with strong-performing companies.

📈 Final Thoughts

In earnings season, the right questions help unlock the real story. By assigning roles and asking for references, you turn the AI platform into a research ally, not just a summarizer. Smart prompting sharpens your edge when it matters most.

What hidden signals are you spotting this earnings season? We'd love to hear what you're noticing and thinking about.

(To ensure our next newsletter lands in your Inbox, please add [email protected] to your contact list.)

Stay tuned for next week’s edition, where we’ll explore new AI prompts for deeper sector analysis.

📊 Upcoming Key Earnings (April 23 – 30)

Markets are heading into a critical earnings stretch. Here’s the day-by-day breakdown of major reports to watch (although we strive to list the publicly known dates, please double check them):

🚀 AI Career Moves: Exciting AI Jobs This Week

Looking for your next opportunity in AI? Explore these standout roles across industries and locations:

• 🇪🇸 AI/ML Engineer – BNP Paribas
  Deploy and monitor AI models to drive strategic decision-making and operational efficiency in banking (permanent/full time).
  📍 Madrid, Spain

  View Job Posting

• 🌍 Senior Technical Lead / Senior Solutions Architect (AI/ML) – Proximity
  Design, develop, and scale AI/ML-driven solutions for high-impact products across global industries.
  📍 Remote
  View Job Posting

• 🇺🇸 Artificial Intelligence Specialist – Safra National Bank
  Develop and optimize AI models to enhance banking solutions, focusing on real-world deployment and scalability.
  📍 New York, United States
  View Job Posting

• 🇺🇸 AI/Machine Learning Engineer – Corning
  Advance AI-driven innovations across materials science, manufacturing, and telecommunications sectors.
  📍 Charlotte, North Carolina, United States
  View Job Posting

📩 Feel free to share this list with anyone looking for AI opportunities!