The Evolution of Financial Analysis: From Manual Methods to AI and AI Agents

Yordanova Zornitsa () and Hristozov Yanko
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Yordanova Zornitsa: University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Business Faculty, Industrial Business Department, Bulgaria
Hristozov Yanko: University of National and World Economy, Sofia, Finance and Accounting Faculty, Finance Department; Institute for Economics and Politics, Bulgaria

Economics, 2025, vol. 13, issue 3, 219-239

Abstract: Purpose: This study examines the transformation of financial decision-making through the adoption of artificial intelligence, focusing on the shift from conventional AI systems to AI agents and agentic AI. It differentiates between automated analytical tools and autonomous, goal-oriented systems that increasingly assume decision-making authority within financial operations. Design/Methodology/Approach: Employing a qualitative multi-method approach—comprising semi-structured expert interviews, industry report synthesis, in-depth case studies, and a comparative performance evaluation—this research investigates AI agent implementation across SMEs, pharmaceutical analytics, and ERP-integrated corporate finance. Theoretically, it extends foundational models including the Efficient Market Hypothesis (EMH), Behavioral Finance, and the Adaptive Markets Hypothesis (AMH) by embedding the dynamic, learning-driven nature of AI agents into financial decision logic. Findings: The results indicate that AI agents introduce novel forms of informational asymmetry, enhance bias mitigation through adaptive modeling, and give rise to emergent decision structures via multi-agent interactions. These dynamics challenge core assumptions of market rationality and static efficiency. Practically, the study offers a structured framework for AI agent integration, emphasizing explainability, hybrid human-AI governance, and risk-specific safeguards to navigate ethical and regulatory constraints. The proposed conceptual taxonomy and cross-industry implementation roadmap reposition agentic AI as a strategic transformation—reshaping how financial institutions process data, execute judgments, and regulate algorithmic autonomy.

Keywords: Artificial Intelligence (AI); AI Agents; Agentic AI; Financial Decision-Making; Financial Analytics; Financial Technology (FinTech) (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: D22 D90 E30 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2025
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:vrs:econom:v:13:y:2025:i:3:p:219-239:n:1011

DOI: 10.2478/eoik-2025-0063

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