Portland State University’s new Bloomberg Finance Lab opened today, giving students and faculty access to the Bloomberg Terminal, a 24-hour global financial services system that provides transparent and reliable financial, economic and government information covering all market sectors.
The lab has 12 computers armed with the Bloomberg Terminal, a ticker displaying live stock market data and monitors streaming Bloomberg Markets. Located on the second floor of the Karl Miller Center, home to The School of Business, the lab will initially be used as part of undergraduate and graduate finance curriculum.
“The Bloomberg Finance Lab is an investment in our students’ experiential learning and long-term finance career success,” says PSU Master of Science in Finance Academic Director Julie Hackett. “The lab gives students access to real-time financial market data, supply chain information, industry research and news they can use to enhance to their learning, all while gaining hands-on technical experience.”
Bloomberg competency is a high-demand skill for students pursuing careers in finance, especially investments and financial analysis. To start, faculty will incorporate the Bloomberg Terminal into courses like investments, portfolio management and financial management for analysts.
Master of Science in Finance student Duygu Nazlibilek was among the first at PSU to use the Bloomberg Terminal. She and her team leveraged the software as part of their recent CFA Institute Research Challenge win where they researched and analyzed a publicly traded company—Nike, in this case—and then created a research report with a buy, sell or hold recommendation.
“Bloomberg Terminal simplified our analysis process because we found all of Nike’s financial information in one place, including historical earnings,” Nazlibilek says. “We were confident that our report had the most accurate and current information, for both Nike and its competitors.”
Nazlibilek believes that knowing how to command the Bloomberg Terminal and understanding its capability can be a differentiator to employers.
“It’s one less thing they’ll have to train a new employee on,” she says.
The Bloomberg Finance Lab was made possible by private donations, including from Rosenbaum Financial CEO Mark Rosenbaum, who is past chair of the PSU Foundation Board of Trustees.
“The growth and economic health of Portland is significantly impacted by the health of Portland State,” says Rosenbaum, who employs PSU alumni and is adding student interns.
“The lab will enhance the qualifications of professionals entering the workforce,” he adds. “Rosenbaum Financial relies on state-of-the-art hardware and software like Bloomberg. We’re consistently impressed by the work ethic of PSU students, and we want them to have access to the best technology available.”
Faculty will also find value in the Bloomberg Terminal as it offers improved access to data for instruction and research.