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Stock pitch template

A stock pitch fits on one page: the call and price target, a one-sentence thesis, two or three catalysts, the valuation, the risks, then a spoken version under two minutes. The worked example is below. Fill in your own and the page writes your pitch.

Download the Word fileWhat each part has to do

Worked example, invented company

Brightwater Pet Supply (BWPS): Buy, $47.50 target (+32%)

Price
$36.00
Target
$47.50
Upside
+32%
If wrong
−8%

Thesis

The market prices Brightwater as a slow store chain, but its food subscription is now 30% of sales, grows 25% a year and earns twice the store margin, so earnings should beat consensus next year.

Catalysts

  • Third-quarter results, when the company reports subscription sales on their own for the first time.
  • The closing of 40 loss-making stores by year end, which lifts the operating margin by about a point.

Valuation

I value the subscription business at 25 times earnings and the stores at 15 times, and at 40% subscription next year that blends to 19 times.

19x × $2.50 EPS = $47.50. Today: 16.4x consensus $2.20.

Risks

  • A large online retailer cuts pet food prices and subscription growth stalls.
  • Store closures cost more than planned.

Wrong if monthly subscription cancellations rise above 4% for two quarters.

The spoken version

252 words, about 1 min 41 s out loud

I would buy Brightwater Pet Supply, ticker BWPS, at $36.00 a share, with a twelve-month target of $47.50. That is about a 32% return if I am right. Brightwater Pet Supply is a chain of 410 pet stores that also sells food by subscription online. The short version: the market prices Brightwater as a slow store chain, but its food subscription is now 30% of sales, grows 25% a year and earns twice the store margin, so earnings should beat consensus next year. I get to $2.50 of earnings per share next year, 14% above the $2.20 analysts expect. The stock trades at 16.4 times that consensus number. Two things should get the market there. First, third-quarter results, when the company reports subscription sales on their own for the first time. Second, the closing of 40 loss-making stores by year end, which lifts the operating margin by about a point. On valuation, I value the subscription business at 25 times earnings and the stores at 15 times, and at 40% subscription next year that blends to 19 times, which on $2.50 gives $47.50. The main risks are that a large online retailer cuts pet food prices and subscription growth stalls, and that store closures cost more than planned. I would know I am wrong if monthly subscription cancellations rise above 4% for two quarters. If that happens and the stock trades at 15 times consensus, it is worth $33.00, a loss of 8%, so I am risking about one to make 3.8.

Fill in your pitch

Write your own. The example stays beside it as a guide.

What each part has to do

Five parts, in this order. Each one with a weak and a strong line from the example.

  1. The call

    Buy or sell, today's price, a target and the return, in the first sentence.

    I like Brightwater, it's a solid company.

    I would buy Brightwater at $36 with a $47.50 target, about 32% upside.

  2. The thesis

    One sentence on what the market misses. If everyone already agrees with you, there is no pitch.

    Pet spending keeps growing.

    The market prices it as a slow store chain, but the subscription is 30% of sales and growing 25% a year.

  3. Catalysts

    Events with a date that make the market see what you see. Without them the stock can stay cheap.

    Eventually investors will notice.

    Q3 results report subscription sales on their own for the first time.

  4. Valuation

    Your earnings, the multiple and why that multiple. Show the target is arithmetic, not hope.

    It's cheap at 16 times earnings.

    19 times my $2.50 EPS is $47.50, a blend of 25 times for subscription and 15 times for stores.

  5. Risks

    The two that matter most and the number that would tell you you're wrong.

    There's always market risk.

    If monthly cancellations pass 4% for two quarters, I'm wrong, and at 15 times consensus it's worth $33.

The questions after the pitch

Have one sentence ready for each. They decide how the pitch lands.

  • Why hasn't the market already priced this in?
  • What is consensus, and where exactly do you differ?
  • Why that multiple and not the one it trades at today?
  • What would make you sell?
  • Who is on the other side of this trade, and why?
  • How big a position would you take?

Pitch it to an interviewer who pushes back

A pitch is tested by the follow-ups. Practice yours out loud with an AI interviewer that asks why the market is wrong and what would make you sell.

Practice your pitchSee an example answer

Questions people ask

How long should a stock pitch be?

Written, one page. Spoken, about two minutes, which is roughly 250 to 300 words at a steady pace. The builder counts your words and estimates the time at 150 words a minute.

Is Brightwater Pet Supply a real company?

No. The company and every number are invented so the example can show the full structure without describing a real stock. For your own pitch, use the company's filings and cite every number.

Should I pitch a long or a short?

A long is the usual choice for an interview because it's easier to defend. A short works if you can name the catalyst and explain why the risk case is limited.

What price target method should I use?

A multiple of next year's earnings is the easiest to say out loud and to defend. Back it with a DCF if you have one, and know what multiple your DCF implies.

Does this work in Google Docs?

Yes. Download the Word file, then in Google Docs choose File, Open, Upload. Or copy your pitch from the page with the copy button.

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