Bloomberg Help Guide: Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC)

It is possible to search Bloomberg by keyword.  To do this enter your keywords at the cursor prompt, e.g. "expired options", and hit the <HELP> key. This will search the entire database and present you results organized by category.

Using Bloomberg in Excel:

At the Bloomberg terminal enter HELP DAPI and hit the <GO> key.  This will explain the excel features, provide information on how to write formulas, and more.

Explanation of screen

For all screens in Bloomberg there is help documentation.  To see this documentation hit the <HELP> key at the top left of the keyboard.

As of 10/31/2022, BMC <GO> will become BCER <GO>. This function name change better reflects Bloomberg for Education's focus on expanding its suite of Bloomberg (B) Certificates (Cer). You can continue to access our current offerings, including the BMC course, at BCER <GO>.

Bloomberg Certificates (BCER) is a self-paced e-learning course that provides an interactive introduction to the financial markets. BCER consists of 8 sections — Core Concepts includes four modules – Economic Indicators, Currencies, Fixed Income, Equities. Other modules are Getting Started on the Terminal, Portfolio Management, Stock Option and Commodities. The sections are woven together from Bloomberg data, news, analytics and television. The course is available through the Bloomberg Terminal at BCER <GO> or through the Bloomberg for Education website. Using the BCER digital courseware as a course companion frees up class time for more advanced topics.

BCER Modules Required for Certificate:

1. Economic Indicators (~1 hour): The primacy of GDP; monitoring GDP; forecasting GDP.
2. Currencies (~1 hour): Currency market mechanics; currency valuation; central banks and currencies; currency risk.
3. Fixed Income (~3 hours): The roots of the bond market, bond valuation drivers; central bankers and interest rates; the yield curve and why it matters; movements in the yield curve.
4. Equities (~3 hours): Introducing the stock market; the nature of equities; equity research; absolute valuation; relative valuation.

Optional BCER Modules: 

1. Getting Started On The Terminal  (~2 hours): Using the terminal; analyzing the market; exploring the equity market; discovering the fixed income market; building an equity portfolio.
2. Portfolio Management (~2 hours): Defining a portfolio manager; generating ideas; building an equity portfolio; analyzing a portfolio; assessing portfolio risk.
3. Stock Options (~2 hours): Intro to stock options; using the language of the options market; the role of a stock options trader; basic multi-leg strategies.
4. Commodities (~2 hours): Intro to commodities; commodity fundamentals; commodity players; commodity training.

Anyone who is currently affiliated with Columbia University can take the BCER course free of cost by creating a BCER account through the Bloomberg terminals:

-Log on to the Bloomberg terminal with your Bloomberg id & password:

-Type the function BCER in the command line and hit green <GO> key

-Sign up for BCER certificate -fill out the form and create your BCER login

-Sign on to take the course

-Students with existing BMC accounts can log-in for free to continue working on their certification on the BCER portal: https://portal.bloombergforeducation.com/

For further instructions, see  https://portal.bloombergforeducation.com/certifications

Enter BU and hit the <GO> key to pull up training videos, cheat sheets and register for a hands-on class at Bloomberg's midtown office.

To email Bloomberg a question hit the <HELP> key twice.  This will bring up an email message box. Enter your question and include your Columbia or other email.  You should receive a response within 24 hours.

Note: In the online and printed help documentation, Bloomberg refers to particular keys on the keyboard by putting them in angle brackets:  <EQUITY>. Whenever you see a command in angle brackets in this handout or in Bloomberg documentation, press that particular key.