Resolving ~100 client queries per week gives you a unique window into how equity professionals actually work. Not how they say they work — how they really work, when they’re under pressure and need an answer fast.
The 80/20 of Equity Functions
Most equity analysts use perhaps 20% of the Terminal’s equity capabilities. That’s not a criticism — it’s a reflection of how deep the platform goes. The challenge isn’t learning every function; it’s knowing which ones matter for your workflow.
Here are the functions I find myself teaching most often:
Fundamental Analysis
FA and MODL are the workhorses. FA gives you the raw financial statements; MODL lets you build forward estimates. Together, they cover about 60% of what most equity clients need day-to-day.
The gap I see most often? Clients using FA to pull data manually when BQL could automate the entire extract in one query.
Comparables and Screening
RV (Relative Value) and EQS (Equity Screening) are powerful but underused. RV lets you compare a company against peers on dozens of metrics simultaneously. EQS can screen the entire market for specific criteria in seconds.
Most clients I’ve worked with know one or the other — almost none use both together effectively.
Workflow Integration
This is where the biggest efficiency gains live. The Terminal isn’t just a data source — it’s a workflow platform. API and BQL let you pull data directly into Excel. Launchpad lets you build custom views that refresh automatically.
A client who spends 30 minutes setting up a Launchpad view once will save hours every week thereafter. But you’d be surprised how few do it.
The Human Element
The best Terminal users aren’t necessarily the most technical. They’re the ones who’ve taken time to align the tool with their process, rather than adapting their process to the tool.
That’s the conversation I try to have with every client: not “here’s a function you should use” but “here’s how this function could make your specific job easier.”