Research platforms

A professional research platform puts prices, company financials, filings, transcripts, estimates and news behind one login, with tools to screen, chart and export. These are the systems analysts at funds, banks and corporate finance teams use every day, and most of them are licensed per seat through an employer.

The AI features in this group mostly sit on top of content the platform already licenses. Search tools summarize what management said across several calls, pull the risk factors from a stack of filings or answer a question about a sector, and the better ones link each point to the document it came from. That link matters more here than anywhere else, because a summary that drops a qualifier or misreads a table can change the meaning of a number.

The platforms differ most in content. Some are strongest on real-time market data and news, some on company fundamentals and consensus estimates, some on broker research or expert call transcripts, and one focuses on private companies and deals. Ask which content sets your plan includes, since broker research, transcripts and private data are often priced separately.

Think about how the data leaves the platform. Most analysts end up in Excel, so check the add-in, the export limits and whether the data can be shared with colleagues who don't hold a license. Contract terms on redistribution can be strict.

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7 AI research tools for investors in research platforms

Bloomberg Terminal

by Bloomberg

Desktop data, news and analytics service for finance professionals, with filings, transcripts, prices and messaging in one place.

Earnings call transcripts
Works with SEC filings
Developer API

LSEG Workspace

by London Stock Exchange Group

Market data and research workspace from LSEG, the successor to Refinitiv Eikon, with news, fundamentals and analytics for professionals.

Earnings call transcripts

FactSet

Financial data and analytics platform for investment professionals, covering company data, estimates, transcripts and portfolio analysis.

Earnings call transcripts
Developer API

S&P Capital IQ Pro

by S&P Global Market Intelligence

Company, market and sector data from S&P Global, with financials, transcripts and screening for analysts and bankers.

Earnings call transcripts

AlphaSense

Market intelligence search across filings, earnings transcripts, broker research and expert calls, with AI summaries that cite their sources.

Earnings call transcripts
Works with SEC filings
Mobile app

PitchBook

by Morningstar

Data on private companies, venture and private equity deals, funds and investors, used by dealmakers and researchers.

Mobile app

YCharts

Research and charting platform popular with financial advisors, covering stocks, funds and economic data with client-ready reports.

Trials are the honest way to compare. Ask for access for the people who will use the platform, set a list of tasks such as building a peer table, pulling five years of segment data or finding every mention of a product across calls, and time how long each takes. Note where the data looks wrong or incomplete, and ask the vendor to explain it.

Plan for training and change. Analysts who know one platform's shortcuts often resist moving, and the cost of switching includes rebuilding templates, models linked to the add-in and saved screens. Ask what the vendor provides for onboarding, and check whether exported history stays usable after a contract ends.

If you invest your own money rather than for an employer, these platforms are usually more than you need. The research sites, screeners and data services in other categories cover much of the same ground at a scale that suits one person. Nothing on this page is investment advice, and every tool here can be wrong.

Questions about research platforms

Can an individual buy a professional research terminal?

Some vendors sell to individuals, but most pricing is set for professional teams and seats are often bought by an employer. Ask the vendor directly, and compare with the research sites and data services in other categories first.

How do I check an AI summary from one of these platforms?

Open the source the summary links to and read the passage yourself, especially for numbers, guidance and anything with conditions attached. If a summary has no link back to a source, treat it as a lead to check, not a fact.

Which platform has the most data?

Coverage depends on what you need: market data, fundamentals, estimates, broker research, expert calls or private companies. Each platform leads in different areas, so list the content you use weekly and ask each vendor to show it in a trial.

Can I share data from these platforms with colleagues?

Licenses usually limit who can see and reuse the data. Check the redistribution terms in your contract before you put exported figures into reports or tools used by people outside the license.