Stock Grades

Retrieve analyst grades, ratings, and rating changes from top financial institutions using the Octagon MCP server.

Prerequisites

Ensure Octagon MCP is configured in your AI agent (Cursor, Claude Desktop, Windsurf, etc.). See references/mcp-setup.md for installation instructions.

Workflow

1. Identify the Stock

Determine the ticker symbol for the company you want to analyze (e.g., AAPL, MSFT, GOOGL).

2. Execute Query via Octagon MCP

Use the octagon-agent tool with a natural language prompt:

Get the latest stock grades for the symbol <TICKER> from top analysts and financial institutions.

MCP Call Format:

{
  "server": "octagon-mcp",
  "toolName": "octagon-agent",
  "arguments": {
    "prompt": "Get the latest stock grades for the symbol AAPL from top analysts and financial institutions."
  }
}

3. Expected Output

The agent returns analyst rating history including:

• Rating Actions: Upgrades, downgrades, maintains
• Analyst/Institution: Source of the rating
• Previous Rating: Prior grade
• New Rating: Current grade
• Date: When the rating was issued

Example: Maxim Group upgraded from Hold to Buy on 2026-01-30

Data Sources: octagon-stock-data-agent

4. Interpret Results

See references/interpreting-results.md for guidance on:

• Understanding rating scales
• Analyzing upgrade/downgrade trends
• Evaluating analyst credibility
• Tracking sentiment changes

Example Queries

Basic Query:

Get the latest stock grades for the symbol AAPL from top analysts and financial institutions.

Recent Changes:

What are the most recent analyst rating changes for TSLA?

Upgrade Focus:

Show me recent upgrades for NVDA from major investment banks.

Historical View:

What is the history of analyst ratings for MSFT over the past year?

Specific Institution:

What is Goldman Sachs' current rating on AMZN?

Understanding Rating Scales

Common Rating Systems

Rating Equivalencies

Rating Actions

Action Types

Significance Ranking

Analyst Credibility

Factors to Consider

Institution Tiers

Trend Analysis

Sentiment Indicators

Momentum Signals

Rating Distribution

Consensus Rating

Rating Counts

Timing Considerations

When Ratings Change

Staleness

Common Use Cases

Sentiment Check

What is the current analyst sentiment on AAPL?

Change Monitoring

Have any analysts upgraded or downgraded TSLA recently?

Catalyst Research

Why did analysts upgrade NVDA last week?

Consensus View

What percentage of analysts rate MSFT as a buy?

Historical Tracking

How has analyst sentiment on META changed over the past year?

Analysis Tips

1. Weight by institution: Major banks carry more weight.

2. Track changes, not just ratings: Upgrades/downgrades signal shifts.

3. Consider timing: Post-earnings ratings are most current.

4. Look for clusters: Multiple changes = significant.

5. Check track record: Some analysts are more accurate.

6. Combine with targets: Rating + price target = complete view.

Integration with Other Skills