The use of McGill Library's professional business databases is limited to academic purposes. These databases are not to be used on behalf of external organizations or for commercial reasons.
Students completing internships may not access resources and reports on behalf of their employers.
Please refer to the McGill Library policy on electronic resources or to the licensing and conditions of use for further information.
The Library’s Bloomberg terminals provide access to live and historical market data, news, analytics and reports.
Bloomberg may have specialized data or metrics that you can’t access in the other resources. However, data sometimes be harder to extract (i.e. you can’t always export the data to Excel)
Bloomberg can only be accessed from specialized terminals or workstations. McGill has a number of terminals that you can use:
Bronfman Building:
BRONF 205: 5 terminals
BRONF 007: 3 terminals (Sandiford)
BRONF 010: 2 terminals (reserved for HIM students)
BRONF 577: 1 terminal (reserved for PhD students)
Armstrong Building:
ARMST 070: 5 terminals (reserved for Masters students)
Library:
Finance Lab (3rd floor McLennan, room M3-53B): 3 terminals
Note: You will also need to create a Bloomberg account to access this resource.
1. Sign into a Bloomberg work station using your @mail.mcgill account.
2. Click on the Bloomberg Icon, followed by Enter or <GO>
Each Bloomberg panel delivers news, data, and analytics through a series of up to four desktop panels (or windows). All four panels operate independently from each other can be used to access multiple workflows simultaneously.
| Item | Description |
|---|---|
| Panel Frame | The panel frame is numbered 1-4 to help you navigate between workspaces. |
| Toolbar | The left side of the toolbar indicates recently selection functions and securities with the current loaded applications visible. The right side provides help to perform key tasks, such as creating notes, printing, adjusting the display, and accessing help. |
| Command Line | The command line is used for searching both functions and securities. You can enter a mnemonic for a function or security and use it as a keyword search to find related information. |
| Function Area | The function area is a display of the currently loaded security and the function in use. |
| Information Panel | The information panel provides content from Bloomberg on new or enhanced features. |
| Enter/Go | Execute a typed command |
| Menu | Navigate to a menu of related functions |
| End/Back | Return to the previous screen |
| Help | Press once to open HELP pages, twice to open a live chat with a Bloomberg Assistant |
| Search | Search by keyword |
| GOVT | Securities issued by national governments |
| CORP | Corporate bonds |
| MTGE | Mortgage market instruments |
| M-MKT | Money Market Securities |
| MUNI | U.S. municipal bonds |
| PFD | Preferred securities |
| EQUITY | Common stocks, mutual funds, etc. |
| CMDTY | Commodities |
| INDEX | Equity and economic indices |
| CRNCY | Foreign currency |
| PORT | Portfolio |
| ESC | Exit the current function |
| Pause, Break/Log-off | Log in and out of the terminal |
Use to switch between the four Bloomberg panel windows.
Securities are the financial instruments you can analyze on the Bloomberg terminals. Load a security by typing the ticker or general name and selecting from the securities list in the drop down. Once a security is loaded you can analyze the data by running a series of functions to find out more information about the security.
Functions are the applications used to determine targeted information or analysis; this can be done on broad financial markets or applied to a specific security. Each function is marked by a specific mnemonic used to identify and access the function. Functions are grouped in hierarchies based on their general workflow. Do not feel pressured to remember all of the Bloomberg functions. Use the guides and cheat sheets on this website to assist you, as well as the HELP
Menus are a way to browse the entirety of Bloomberg's functions to help discover what you may need. Menus generate a workflow of related functions that may be useful when analyzing a security if you are feeling unsure. They help to drill down into further security-specific analysis.
You can print from the Bloomberg terminals to any uPrint station.
Take screenshots from within the Bloomberg terminal by using the provided snipping tools.
In the top right-hand corner select the 
to pull up the screen shot options.
1. Take Window Screenshot
2. Snip Any Screen Area
You can copy & paste text from within the Bloomberg terminal and to outside applications.
1. Copy & Paste Text
2. Copy & Paste Screen Images to Microsoft Word
NOTE<GO> is an internal function designed to capture information, ideas, and images within the Bloomberg Terminal.
Notes can be tagged based on securities, people, sectors, regions, or custom themes for ease of discovery. By creating a community, a user can share notes between colleagues and assign permissions for viewing or editing.
A user can input images, tables, hyperlinks, and other attachments to add depth to their notes. All notes are saved to the user's account, meaning they can access them from any Bloomberg Terminal.
Bloomberg's internal messaging system is available for all users through the MSG<GO> function.
MSG<GO> can be used to communicate with colleagues through their Bloomberg accounts and will also send email to other provider accounts. Useful features for students include sending screenshots and subscribing to daily news reports.
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