The Oldest Tool in the New World

Description and use

The author explores using Claude’s fetch tool to reliably pull exact financial figures from SEC filings, comparing it with a custom server and a third‑party service. The approach involves locating the filing, retrieving FilingSummary.xml, fetching the target table, and validating numbers by summing related segments.

Problem

How to reliably retrieve specific financial figures from SEC filings when automated tools may block access or provide summarized data.

Outcome

The fetch tool, when guided to the correct table via FilingSummary.xml, provides exact, verifiable numbers. Cross‑checking with segment totals confirms reliability, while other services may offer rounded or second‑hand data.

Workflow

• 1. Identify the target SEC filing (e.g., Amazon Q2 2026 10‑Q).
• 2. Attempt to fetch via fetch; if blocked, search the web for the filing URL.
• 3. Retrieve FilingSummary.xml to locate the desired table (e.g., "Segment Information").
• 4. Fetch the table directly and extract the specific figures.
• 5. Cross‑check the figures by summing related segments to ensure consistency.
• 6. Compare results with other sources (Arhan’s server, EODHD) for validation.
• 7. Document any discrepancies and note the source of each figure.

Evidence

I fetched it. I asked the SEC's website for the file at a specific address, and read what came back.

Source

Every filing comes with a small index file, FilingSummary.xml, that lists all of its tables by name. I fetched that, found the one called "Segment Information", and fetched that table directly.

Source

I asked a second question of the same table: the other segments and the company totals. North America, International and AWS add up to Amazon's total net sales of $200,606 million... A misread number would have broken the sums.

Source