Outperformed by AI: Time to Replace Your Analyst?
Find Out Which GenAI Model Does It Best

Abstract

This paper addresses an important question for investment professionals: Can Large Language Models (LLMs) really improve, or even challenge, traditional financial analysis? In this comprehensive study, we directly compare six leading LLMs-mainly from the US and China including Grok3 and ChatGPT 4o, focusing on their ability to produce detailed SWOT analyses of various global companies.

Our findings may surprise you. With sophisticated prompting-now a critical skill for analysts - certain LLMs not only match, but can exceed human analysts in the specificity and depth of analysis of their output. We identify which models excel and show that advanced prompting is crucial, significantly improving performance by up to 40%.

However, this is not about replacing your team. Human expertise remains essential for nuanced strategic insights, particularly those derived from direct management interactions. Critical oversight is essential. The best approach is hybrid: let AI do the heavy lifting, freeing up analysts for higher-level interpretation and judgment. While top-tier AI is currently coming from outside Europe, raising strategic considerations, the rapid pace demands constant evaluation of the best tools available. 

Discover key lessons for effectively integrating these powerful AI 'copilots' into your investment and research workflow. We provide practical guidance and a six-point checklist, an evaluation framework, to help you navigate this rapidly evolving landscape and choose the right LLMs-now and in the future.

Keywords: LLM, Large Language Model, Prompting, Generative AI, AI in Finance, AI in Investing, SWOT, ChatGPT, Prompt Engineering, Analyst, Portfolio Manager, Fund Manager, DeepSeek, Gemini