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HomeMy WebLinkAboutBNF-210 1 Bergen Community College Division of Business and Social Sciences Department of Business Course Syllabus BNF-2XX –Financial Markets Using Bloomberg Terminal Semester and year: Section Number: BNF-2XX Meeting Times: Locations: Bloomberg Lab Instructor: Office Location: Phone: Departmental Secretary: Office Hours: Email Address: Official Catalog Course Description This course provides students with a comprehensive foundation in global financial markets using the Bloomberg Terminal and Bloomberg for Education resources. Core curriculum topics include economics, fixed income, foreign exchange, equity markets, portfolio management, commodities, charting and data visualization, and derivatives. Students who successfully complete the course will receive a “Certificate of Completion” in Bloomberg Market Concepts, which is highly valued in the banking and finance sector. Credits: 3 (2 lecture, 2 labs) Prerequisites: BUS-101, or ECON-101, or BNF-101, or ACC-110, or equivalent course. Co-requisites: None Student Learning Outcomes: As a result of meeting the requirements in this course, students will be able to: 1. Demonstrate proficiency in equity and fixed income analytics using the Bloomberg Terminal, including retrieving real-time and historical market data, analyzing company financial statements, and assessing bond yields and spreads. 2. Apply Bloomberg Terminal functions to value securities and monitor markets, using tools such as: FA (Financial Analysis) for analyzing company financials and SRCH (Bond Search) for identifying fixed income. 3. Use Bloomberg Terminal’s data visualization and charting tools, such as: GP (Graph Price) for historical price charts and technical overlays (moving averages, Bollinger Bands, etc.) to create professional-quality graphs and presentations that support market analysis and decision-making. 2 4. Integrate Bloomberg Terminal data with Excel for custom modeling. 5. Build a basic portfolio analysis framework using Bloomberg PORT (Portfolio and Risk Analytics). 6. Develop practical exposure management strategies using derivatives and Bloomberg Terminal risk tools. 7. Earn the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certification. Student Learning Outcome Means of Assessment Demonstrate proficiency in equity and fixed income analytics using the Bloomberg Terminal. Weekly Bloomberg lab exercises requiring students to retrieve, interpret, and report on stock and bond data (functions: FA – Financial Analysis, RV – Relative Valuation, EQS – Equity Screening, YAS – Yield and Spread Analysis, YCRV – Yield Curve Analysis). Instructor observation of terminal proficiency. Apply Bloomberg Terminal functions to value securities and monitor markets. Case study assignments where students conduct relative valuation of a company (RV – Relative Valuation, EQS – Equity Screening) and analyze bond yields vs. market benchmarks (YAS – Yield and Spread Analysis, CRPR – Credit Ratings). Graded written analysis. Use Bloomberg Terminal’s data visualization and charting tools for analysis and presentations. Students create Bloomberg charts (GP – Graph Price, GIP – Graph Intraday Price) on equities and fixed income trends. Assessment based on clarity, accuracy, and professional-quality presentation of findings. Integrate Bloomberg Terminal data with Excel for custom modeling. Hands-on project using the Bloomberg Excel Add-In to download real-time and historical data. Students must build a dynamic dashboard that updates automatically. Build a basic portfolio analysis framework using Bloomberg PORT (Portfolio and Risk Analytics). Group assignment where students construct and evaluate a multi-asset portfolio using PORT (Portfolio and Risk Analytics). Assessment based on ability to analyze portfolio performance, risk measures, and provide recommendations. Develop practical exposure management strategies using derivatives and Bloomberg Terminal risk tools. Case study requiring students to propose a hedging strategy using derivatives (OMON – Options Monitor, SWPM – Swap Manager). Students submit a risk analysis memo with screenshots from Bloomberg. Earn the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certification. Completion certificate uploaded by student; participation grade awarded for successful certification. 3 Course Content This course introduces students to the fundamentals of finance through hands-on training with the Bloomberg Terminal. Students who complete the course successfully will earn the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certification, which consists of modules on economic indicators, currencies, fixed income, equities, and commodities. Instruction integrates live Bloomberg data with applied analysis, preparing students to demonstrate proficiency in both financial markets and Bloomberg Terminal use. Bloomberg Market Concepts certification is a valuable credential in the finance and banking industry. Grading Policy The grading system used for this course will combine the following: Attendance 5% Daily Lab Performance 30% Case Studies 15% Midterm Examination 15% Final Written Examination 15% Final Practical Examination 20% 100% A student's final grade for the course is primarily based on their performance on required work (lab performance, examinations, attendance, etc.) and on mastery of the material covered in the course. Class participation will also be evaluated, and this grade will factor in determining the student's final grade for the course. BCC Attendance Policy All students are expected to attend every scheduled meeting of each course in which they are registered. Attendance and lateness policies and sanctions are to be determined by the instructor for each section of each course. These will be established in writing on the individual course outline. Attendance will be kept by the instructor for administrative and counseling purposes. Student and Faculty Support Services Accessibility Statement Bergen Community College is committed to ensuring the full participation of all students in its programs. If you have a documented disability (or think you may have a disability) and, as a result, need a reasonable accommodation to participate in this class, complete course requirements, or benefit from the College’s programs or services, contact the Office of Special Services (OSS) as soon as possible at 201-612-5270 or www.bergen.edu/oss. To receive any academic accommodation, you must be appropriately registered with OSS. The OSS works with students confidentially and does not disclose any disability-related information without their permission. The OSS serves as a clearinghouse on disability issues and partners with faculty and all other student service offices. 4 Student Support Services Bergen Community College provides exemplary support to its students and offers a broad variety of opportunities and services. A comprehensive array of student support services including advising, tutoring, academic coaching, and more are available online at https://bergen.edu/currentstudents/. Sidney Silverman Library Online Resources: Guides BY SUBJECT - LibGuides at Bergen Community College General Search and Databases: Library | Bergen Community College Course Outline and Calendar Week 1 – Introduction to Bloomberg & Market Overview Overview of Bloomberg Terminal navigation, key functions, and accessing global market indices and activity summaries. Week 2 – Company & Financial Analysis Introduction to analyzing company financial statements, descriptive overviews, dividends, and analyst recommendations. Week 3 – Equity Valuation Tools Using relative valuation and equity screening to compare peer companies and identify investment opportunities. Week 4 – Fixed Income: Yield Curves & Bonds Analyzing bond securities, yield curves, and spread evaluations across government and corporate debt. Week 5 – Credit & Risk Analysis Exploring corporate credit ratings, debt distribution structures, and credit risk assessment. Week 6 – Data Visualization & Charting Creating professional graphs and visualizations with intraday price data and technical overlays. Week 7 – Bloomberg Excel Add-In Integrating Bloomberg data into Excel to build dashboards and track real-time and historical market data. 5 Week 8 – Portfolio Analytics Constructing and analyzing multi-asset portfolios, benchmarking performance, and assessing risk using Value-at-Risk and scenario testing. Week 9 – ESG & Industry Insights Exploring Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) metrics and conducting sector research using Bloomberg Intelligence. Week 10 – Derivatives & Exposure Management Introduction to options and swaps and using derivatives for hedging and exposure management. Week 11 – Integrated Case Study Applying equity, fixed income, visualization, and Excel tools to a comprehensive real-world company case analysis. Week 12 – Final Review & Certification Comprehensive review of all topics and completion of the Bloomberg Market Concepts (BMC) Certification.