A Different Perspective with Alistair Smallwood – How AI is Transforming Equity Research Workflows

This week Nick talks to Alistair Smallwood

Alistair Smallwood is the Head of Applied AI at Primer AI, where he focuses on building practical artificial intelligence tools for investment workflows. He began his career as a research analyst at Whitman Howard shortly after the Brexit vote, before moving into equity sales roles and later joining UBS as a pan-European small- and mid-cap specialist salesperson. He subsequently transitioned to the buy side with Lynott Partners, a technology-focused hedge fund, where he combined his financial expertise with self-taught coding skills to explore data-driven investing.

The discussion centres on how Primer AI is transforming equity research through AI-driven agents that replicate and augment the workflow of human analysts. While AI can commoditize access to information, the true edge in investing lies in workflow, judgment, and behavioural insight—areas where human expertise remains critical. Primer AI is designed not just to retrieve accurate financial data, but to guide analysts through modular research processes, from understanding company fundamentals to building and interpreting financial models. The platform emphasizes auditability, context retention, and continuous learning, enabling users to encode their own analytical frameworks and improve efficiency over time. The conversation also explores broader implications for financial markets, suggesting that AI may compress short-term alpha opportunities while increasing the importance of long-term thinking and differentiated judgment.

Alistair Book Choice’s
Endurance by Alfred Lansing
No Spin: My Autobiography by Shane Warne

Alistair Music Choice’s
Dark Side of the Moon by Pink Floyd
Money for Nothing by Dire Straits from Brothers in Arms

The Thinking Game – Documentary about DeepMind and Demis Hassabis

A Different Perspective is a Zeus podcast, hosted by Nick Searle, Co-Head of Equity Sales. Here, Nick interviews interesting characters from the world of business and finance, to uncover a different perspective.

Zeus is an independent financial services group working across public and private capital markets in the UK.  We work alongside many of the most exciting businesses in the UK and we are passionate about supporting our clients.  This podcast is a series of interviews with interesting characters from the world of business and finance, uncovering a different perspective.

View all episodes on the Zeus website or subscribe wherever you get your podcasts: Apple – Spotify – Amazon

This content is issued by Zeus Capital Limited (“Zeus”) (Incorporated in England & Wales No. 4417845), which is authorised and regulated in the United Kingdom by the Financial Conduct Authority (“FCA”) for designated investment business, (Reg No. 224621) and is a member firm of the London Stock Exchange. This content is for information purposes only and neither the information contained, nor the opinions expressed, within constitute or are to be construed as an offer or a solicitation of an offer to buy or sell the securities or other instruments mentioned in it. Zeus shall not be liable for any direct or indirect damages, including lost profits arising in any way from the information contained in this material. This material is for the use of intended recipients only.