Compare three companies without mixing up your research notes

Researching several companies can leave you with a collection of tabs that are difficult to compare. A recent article about one company may sit beside an older filing about another. Your notes can look equally complete even when they cover different periods or answer different questions.

We made a simple worksheet to help keep that context visible. It has three company columns and space for sources, dates, observations and questions. The worksheet itself is free to use, and you do not need to install our app to use it.

Open and download the blank research comparison worksheet (.xlsx)
In the viewer, choose File → Download → Microsoft Excel (.xlsx), then work in your own copy. No Google sign-in is required to view or download it.

Start with one question

Decide what you are trying to understand before filling the columns. For example: “What evidence have I found about how each company describes its business?” A narrow question makes it easier to notice when one source does not address the same topic as another.

Enter a ticker and company name at the top of each column. Use the research date for when you checked the material; use the separate publication-date field for when the source was published. If a date is missing, write Unknown instead of guessing.

Keep the source beside the note

Add the source title, URL and period or scope covered. A page's publication date and the period discussed are not necessarily the same. Keeping both visible helps you decide what you still need to verify before comparing your notes.

If you include a chart, record its interval and timestamp, including the time zone. Choose Daily, 15min, 60min, Other or Not applicable in the interval field. These are labels for documenting your source, not recommendations about which interval to use.

Separate observations from interpretations

Write what you found in “Observation from source.” Put your explanation of what it might mean in “Your interpretation.” Then add counterevidence to check, an unanswered question and the next source to consult.

For example, an observation could be “The source discusses the previous fiscal year.” An interpretation could be “I need a more recent source before using this note to describe the company's current situation.” This is an illustration of note-taking, not a statement about any particular company.

Use the blank count as a reminder

Each column begins with 14 blank fields. The count decreases when you enter information. A zero means every field contains something; it does not mean the sources are correct, the comparison is complete or an investment is suitable. Unknown and Not applicable count as entries too.

Keep the shared original unchanged and work in your own downloaded copy. Duplicate the worksheet when you want to start a new comparison. The supplied file contains blank input cells, dropdown choices and simple counting formulas; it does not contain live market data or rank the companies.

About the team

We are the MerlaTech team behind Stock Analysis: AI Signals for Android. The app interface is in English and includes in-app purchases; some features require a subscription. This worksheet is a separate resource for organizing research, not investment advice.

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