initiate
Initiate coverage — generate both research note (.docx) and Excel model (.xlsx)
Best use case
initiate is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.
Initiate coverage — generate both research note (.docx) and Excel model (.xlsx)
Teams using initiate should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.
When to use this skill
- You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.
When not to use this skill
- You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
- You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.
Installation
Claude Code / Cursor / Codex
Manual Installation
- Download SKILL.md from GitHub
- Place it in
.claude/skills/initiate/SKILL.mdinside your project - Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill
How initiate Compares
| Feature / Agent | initiate | Standard Approach |
|---|---|---|
| Platform Support | Not specified | Limited / Varies |
| Context Awareness | High | Baseline |
| Installation Complexity | Unknown | N/A |
Frequently Asked Questions
What does this skill do?
Initiate coverage — generate both research note (.docx) and Excel model (.xlsx)
Where can I find the source code?
You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.
SKILL.md Source
Initiate coverage on the company specified by the user: $ARGUMENTS
**Before starting, read `../data-access.md` for data access methods and `../design-system.md` for formatting conventions.** Follow the data access detection logic and design system throughout this skill.
This is the capstone skill that produces both a research note and an Excel model from a single comprehensive data gathering pass.
## Strategy
Rather than running `/research-note` and `/build-model` independently (which would duplicate data gathering), this skill gathers a superset of data once, then renders both outputs.
## Phase 1 — Company Setup
Look up the company by ticker using `discover_companies`. Capture:
- `company_id`
- `latest_calendar_quarter` — anchor for all period calculations (see `../data-access.md` Section 1.5)
- `latest_fiscal_quarter`
- Firm name for report attribution (default: "Daloopa") — see `../data-access.md` Section 4.5
Get market data (see ../data-access.md Section 2):
- Current price, market cap, shares outstanding, beta
- Trading multiples (P/E, EV/EBITDA, P/S, P/B)
- Risk-free rate (for DCF)
## Phase 2 — Comprehensive Data Gathering
Follow the `/build-model` skill's Phase 2 data pull (the most comprehensive). Calculate 8-16 quarters backward from `latest_calendar_quarter`. Pull:
- Full Income Statement (Revenue through EPS, including D&A for EBITDA calc)
- Full Balance Sheet (Cash through Equity)
- Full Cash Flow Statement (OCF, CapEx, FCF, Dividends, Buybacks)
- Segment revenue and operating income breakdowns
- Geographic revenue breakdown
- All company-specific operating KPIs
- All guidance series and corresponding actuals
- Share count, buyback amounts
## Phase 3 — Peer Analysis
Identify 5-8 comparable companies.
Get peer trading multiples (see ../data-access.md Section 2).
If consensus forward estimates are available (../data-access.md Section 3), include NTM estimates.
Pull peer fundamentals from Daloopa where available (revenue growth, margins).
## Phase 4 — Projections
If a projection engine is available (see ../data-access.md Section 5), use it. Otherwise project manually.
Write historical data to `reports/.tmp/{TICKER}_initiate_input.json` for reuse.
## Phase 5 — DCF Valuation
- Calculate WACC (CAPM)
- Project 5-year FCFs
- Terminal value
- Implied share price
- Sensitivity table (WACC × terminal growth)
## Phase 6 — Qualitative Research
Search SEC filings comprehensively:
- Risk factors, growth drivers, competitive dynamics
- Management outlook and guidance language
- Capital allocation strategy
- Company-specific strategic topics
Extract business description, risks (ranked), investment thesis, catalysts.
## Phase 7 — What You Need to Believe
Build falsifiable bull/bear beliefs (follows /research-note methodology):
- 4-6 numbered bull beliefs with evidence and Daloopa citations — each testable in 6 months
- 4-6 numbered bear beliefs with evidence and Daloopa citations — each testable in 6 months
- Valuation math for each side: forward multiple × earnings estimate = price target
- Risk/reward asymmetry assessment (bull upside % vs bear downside %)
## Phase 8 — Synthesis & Charts
Write the executive summary, variant perception, and key findings.
If chart generation is available (see ../data-access.md Section 5), generate charts:
1. Revenue time-series
2. Margin time-series
3. Segment pie
4. Scenario bar (bull/base/bear)
5. DCF sensitivity heatmap
Skip any charts that fail; note which were generated.
## Phase 9 — Render Both Outputs
**Research Note (.docx):**
1. Build the research note context with all gathered data, charts, narrative sections
2. Write to `reports/.tmp/{TICKER}_context.json`
3. Run: `python infra/docx_renderer.py --template templates/research_note.docx --context reports/.tmp/{TICKER}_context.json --output reports/{TICKER}_research_note.docx`
**Excel Model (.xlsx):**
1. Build the model context with all financial data, projections, DCF, comps
2. Write to `reports/.tmp/{TICKER}_model_context.json`
3. Run: `python infra/excel_builder.py --context reports/.tmp/{TICKER}_model_context.json --output reports/{TICKER}_model.xlsx`
## Output
Tell the user:
- Research note saved to: `reports/{TICKER}_research_note.docx`
- Excel model saved to: `reports/{TICKER}_model.xlsx`
- Context files saved to: `reports/.tmp/` (for future updates)
- 3-4 sentence executive summary
- Key valuation range (DCF implied price + comps range)
- Top 3 findings
- Remind user that yellow cells in the Excel model's Projections tab are editable inputs
All financial figures must use Daloopa citation format: [$X.XX million](https://daloopa.com/src/{fundamental_id})Related Skills
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