Optimizing Financial Predictions through Copilot and Power BI

Ankit Shah by Ankit Shah Power BI March 17, 2025

Introduction

Predictive analysis is a powerful tool that helps people understand what might happen in the future by studying past data. In finance, predictive analysis can determine whether a stock might go up if there are risks or how customers might behave. 

Power BI and Copilot are helpful tools, making it easier for businesses to understand and use their data to make intelligent choices. Power BI is a Microsoft tool that allows people to create visuals (like charts and graphs) from data, making it easier to see patterns and trends. 

Copilot is an AI assistant in Power BI that helps users with their data, suggesting valuable insights and making it easier to do complex tasks.

What is Predictive Analysis?

Imagine you have a bunch of information on how stocks or companies performed over the last five years. Predictive analysis helps take this information, apply mathematical models, and make guesses (or predictions) about what might happen in the future. 

For instance, if a company’s sales have increased each year, predictive analysis might guess that they will keep going up next year. Predictive analysis in finance is instrumental because it can help businesses see upcoming trends, understand customer needs, and manage risks better. 

By knowing what might happen, companies can make better decisions, such as when to buy or sell stocks, adjust their spending, or predict which products customers will likely buy more.

How Does Power BI Help with Predictive Analysis?

Power BI enables users to view data understandably. Instead of looking at rows and rows of numbers, Power BI turns that information into charts, graphs, and other visuals. Here’s how Power BI makes predictive analysis easier in finance:

Power BI Help with Predictive Analysis

o automate monotonous processes and optimize workflows, Microsoft developed Power Automate. In the energy sector, it can be used to streamline a variety of methods, including:

1. Visuals Make Trends Clearer

If you want to see how a company’s earnings changed over time, Power BI can show this as a line chart. Seeing it as a chart rather than just numbers helps you quickly notice any increases or decreases.

2. Combining Different Data Sources

Power BI allows users to integrate data from different sources, such as sales, customer feedback, and economic reports. Examining all this data in one location is simpler.

3. Automated Data Refreshing

Financial data changes constantly. Power BI can refresh data automatically so that the charts and dashboards always show the latest information.

4. Building Predictive Models

In Power BI, you can use predictive models. These formulas take past data and make predictions, like how sales might change or which customers may stop using a service.

Presenting Copilot: Your Power BI AI Partner

Copilot in Power BI is like having an intelligent helper to understand and work with your data. It uses AI to assist users by suggesting insights and helping them with predictions. Here are some ways Copilot helps in Power BI:

1. Suggesting Useful Insights

Copilot can automatically spot patterns in your data, which allows users to find insights faster. For example, it might notice that customers spend more money at certain times of the year.

2. Answering Questions in Plain English

With Copilot, you don’t need to know complicated coding. Which month had the highest sales?” is an example?”  may be typed. Copilot will display the response in a list or chart.

3. Predictive Suggestions

Data patterns can help Copilot predict. If a company’s revenue rises annually, Copilot may forecast a repeat.

The advantages of combining Power BI with Copilot in the finance industry

Predictive analysis is made easier and more accessible by combining Power BI with Copilot. Here’s why they’re so helpful in finance:

1. Better Decisions with Data-Driven Insights

When financial data is easy to understand, it’s easier for business leaders to make intelligent choices. By seeing trends and predictions, businesses can take action before something happens, like selling a stock before its value drops.

2. Saving Time and Effort

They are investing time and energy into creating prediction algorithms. Financial analysts may focus on other crucial activities by using Copilot to assist in building these models more quickly.

3. Managing Risk

Finance involves risks like market drops, bad investments, or losing customers. Predictive analysis helps spot these risks early. For instance, if Copilot sees a company’s earnings dropping, it can alert managers to investigate further and possibly take action.

4. Customer Personalization

Additionally, the predictive analysis may assist companies in better understanding their clientele. If you know what they enjoy, give them things they will likely purchase. Banks, for example, can see patterns in how people spend and offer personalized financial products to them.

Steps to Perform Predictive Analysis in Power BI with Copilot

Let’s break down how financial analysts can use Power BI and Copilot for predictive analysis:

Steps to Perform Predictive Analysis in Power BI with Copilot

Step 1: Collect Data

First, obtain all of the financial data you want to review. Statistics may include sales, customers, and markets. Power BI lets you pull this data from different sources and put it in one place.

Step 2: Set Up Visuals

Once you have your data, you can create charts and graphs using Power BI. For example, you can make a line chart to see how sales have changed yearly.

Step 3: Use Copilot for Insights

With your visuals ready, Copilot can help you spot patterns and make predictions. Use straightforward wording when asking inquiries, such as “How will sales change next year?

Step 4: Build Predictive Models

Copilot can help set up predictive models if you want to go deeper. It may be used, for instance, to forecast the pace of sales increase. Copilot’s suggestions make it easier to choose a suitable model.

After the data has been analyzed, you can make well-informed judgments. If the predictions show a sales drop, the business can consider launching a marketing campaign to improve sales.

Real-Life Examples of Predictive Analysis in Finance

1. Investment Predictions

Financial analysts use predictive analysis to decide which stocks might perform well. For example, if a company’s sales have increased yearly, they might predict that this trend will continue and decide to invest.

2. Revenue Forecasting

Businesses use predictive analysis to guess how much money they will make. By knowing this, they can set budgets and plan for the future. Power BI’s visuals help show these forecasts clearly.

3. Risk Detection

Banks can use predictive analysis to detect risks, such as whether a borrower might not repay a loan. Copilot can help banks spot risky customers, allowing them to be more cautious in lending.

4. Fraud Detection

Predictive analysis can help detect unusual spending that might signal fraud. Banks can use Copilot to create models that alert them if a pattern of fraud is detected.

Conclusion

Predictive analysis is a powerful financial tool that helps businesses predict what might happen and make better decisions. Power BI and Copilot make this easier by turning complex data into visuals and suggesting valuable insights. 

With these tools, finance teams can save time, reduce risks, and offer personalized services to customers. By understanding trends and predicting the future, companies can be better prepared and stay ahead in a fast-changing world.

Table Of Contents

  • Introduction
  • What is Predictive Analysis?
  • How Does Power BI Help with Predictive Analysis?
  • Presenting Copilot: Your Power BI AI Partner
  • The advantages of combining Power BI with Copilot in the finance industry
  • Steps to Perform Predictive Analysis in Power BI with Copilot
  • Real-Life Examples of Predictive Analysis in Finance
  • Conclusion

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