A quick overview of the Bloomberg terminal…
In this article, Louis DETALLE (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole Program – Master in Management, 2020-2023) explains everything there is to know about the Bloomberg terminal which is a must-know in finance.
How to use the main functions of the Bloomberg terminal?
One may notice that the keyboard of the Bloomberg terminal is a little strange. Indeed, this keyboard called Starboard, and contains red, blue, green and yellow keys for specific functions in addition to your regular keys.
Functions are unique Bloomberg applications that provide analysis and information on securities,
sectors, regions and more. Each function is accessed by typing in its unique mnemonic (a short, memorable name) and then pressing the key located in the lowest-right sided area of the keyboard.
Let’s review together the different functions of the buttons:
The HELP button is perhaps the most useful button for those just starting out. If you have questions about anything on the terminal, simply press the button once and a Bloomberg specialist will be there to start a live chat with you to resolve your questions.
In order to benefit from the latest news, users can simply type NEWS and press enter to get the latest information on market trends, movements and other relevant news.
Those in the finance industry chat via Bloomberg Messaging, which is essentially equivalent to Facebook Messenger but on Bloomberg. It enables you to send a message to anyone on the device. This means that anyone in the industry can technically contact each other instantly. No need to ask for someone else’s number or find out the best way to get in touch.
Main users of the Bloomberg terminal
Traders, brokers, analysts, portfolio managers, investors and executives are the Terminal’s primary consumer base as they need to access the data provided by Bloomberg easily in order to do their job.
A subscription to the Bloomberg Terminal costs approximately $20,000 a year, but that does not stop its customers from renewing their subscriptions because of its usefulness.
Training webinars
First and foremost, the Bloomberg beginner should work on the document available on Bloomberg website, Getting started on the Bloomberg Terminal, which will give you the main information on the keys and their function.
The best next step to get used to the Bloomberg Terminal is to complete the certification
course: Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC). BMC is an 8-hour e-learning course that will
provide a visual introduction to the financial markets and covers nearly 70 Terminal functions which is enough for whoever wants to start using Bloomberg.
Related posts on the SimTrade blog
▶ Louis DETALLE The importance of data in finance
▶ Louis DETALLE Reuters
▶ Louis DETALLE Bloomberg
Useful resources
Capital Markets (BMC) Certification’s website
About the author
The article was written in April 2022 by Louis DETALLE (ESSEC Business School, Grande Ecole Program – Master in Management, 2020-2023).