Welcome to the Prompting Series, a new blog series exploring how to get the most out of Moody’s Research Assistant by crafting powerful prompts.
Each post will spotlight a different use case or user group, from credit analysts and risk officers to portfolio managers and sustainability leads. Our aim is to help you speak Research Assistant’s language fluently, so it returns what you need, fast.
Let’s begin with a core use case for credit analysts: screening companies by financials.
Whether you're assembling a watchlist, running a peer comparison, or identifying early warning signs, Research Assistant can rapidly surface the right entities -- and it’s easier than you might think.
Speak the Language: Think Like a Query, Not a Narrative
You get the most impactful answers when your prompt is structured, precise, and targeted. You're not writing an essay, you're issuing a command. The most effective prompts include:
Sector & region tags (e.g. @United States, @Oil & Gas)
Clear timeframes (e.g. 2022 to 2024)
Explicit metrics (e.g. adjusted FCF/debt)
Quantified thresholds (e.g. “increased by more than 15%”)
Useful outputs (e.g. YoY %, ratings, medians)
Examples That Work
These examples are field-tested for accuracy, relevance, and speed. They’re designed to give you maximum return without breaking a sweat.
Red Flag Radar: Inventory Buildup
Prompt:
List @United States @Manufacturing entities whose reported inventories have increased at least 10% from 2022 to 2024. Detail 2022–2024 revenue, inventory YoY % changes, YoY % change from 2022 to 2024, and current credit rating and outlook.
Why it works:
Inventory inflation can signal demand slack or operational strain. This prompt spotlights potential trouble while tying it directly to credit ratings.
Easier Peer Benchmarking
Prompt:
List the top 20 @Europe @Media & Publishing entities (by revenue) and compare their adjusted debt/EBITDA from 2023 and 2024. Calculate the median for each year and % deviation per entity.
Why it works:
This gives the user a heat map of capital structures that are ranked, benchmarked, and contextualized in one go.
Improving Leverage Screening
Prompt:
List US @Oil & Gas or @Utilities companies that increased their adjusted FCF/debt by more than 15% from 2023 to the most recent period. Calculate % change and include most recent adjusted key indicators.
Why it works:
These prompts surface quiet credit improvers, allowing you to more quickly focus on potential upgrade stories hiding in plain sight.
Top Prompting Tips for Better Results
Use tags early to filter noise.
Specify change + magnitude for sharp filtering.
Request benchmarking to highlight relative risk.
Overlay ratings or outlook for immediate credit relevance.
Remember subject + intent. What are you asking the tool to focus on and what do you want it to do?
Structure the prompt in AND or OR statements for more precise returns.
Keep it compact. Leave the fluff, go straight for what you need.
What’s Next in the Series?
In the next installment, we’ll dive into Ratings Momentum: how to track upgrades, downgrades, and outlook shifts.
This is just the start. Follow this weekly series and for easy access to tips, tutorials and developments. If you’re interested in learning more about Moody’s Research Assistant or have any questions about AI-powered platform, contact us.
About the author:
Caroline Hedgcock is an Assistant Director of Customer Success at Moody’s, where she specializes in helping clients optimize their use of Moody’s Research Assistant. A leader in AI prompting strategies, Caroline works closely with financial institutions to streamline workflows, accelerate analysis, and unlock deeper insights leveraging Moody’s GenAI powered Research Assistant.
With extensive expertise in applying advanced prompting techniques, Caroline ensures that clients harness the full capabilities of the Research Assistant to enhance decision-making and operational efficiency. Her approach bridges technical innovation with practical application, helping organizations to unlock the benefits of embedding GenAI into their daily workflows.