Bloomberg Launches New Historically Black College Trading Challenge

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Bloomberg for Education and Bloomberg Human Resources put the finance knowledge of more than 60 students at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to the test in a new environmental, social, and governance (ESG) trading challenge event.

This event, called the Bloomberg and HBCU ESG Trading Challenge, is a virtual investment competition taking place entirely on the Bloomberg Terminal. Students from Clark Atlanta University, Howard University, Hampton University, Morehouse College and Morgan State University were among the first group of students to participate.

Students invested $1 million virtual US dollars across securities while receiving support from faculty advisors and training from Bloomberg employees, according to a release.

The winner was decided based on the trade performance of each participant. Darren Stephens, a sophomore at Clark Atlanta University came out on top.

“This was my first time interacting with the Bloomberg Terminal and the Bloomberg team did a great job teaching me how to navigate and complete analytical research on companies…I learned through this experience that investing requires you to take risks.”

Darren Stephens

This initiative stemmed from the annual Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, Bloomberg’s flagship Terminal-based investment competition. The Bloomberg and HBCU ESG Trading Challenge is geared toward Black students in the US who are typically underrepresented in the finance industry. It was created to help HBCU students build marketable skills and knowledge needed to compete for finance jobs.

As part of their participation, students were among the first group of users to access the Bloomberg for Education ESG Certificate course focused on sustainable investing, an increasingly relevant area of finance. Upon completion of the course, students receive a certificate of completion that they can put on their resumes and LinkedIn profiles.

“Bloomberg for Education aims to better equip university students for the ever-changing financial world…These interactive courses give students the opportunity to grow their working knowledge and familiarize themselves with the Bloomberg Terminal.”

Emily Perrucci, Bloomberg Global Head of User Support

Students who participate in the trading challenge also receive direct access to Bloomberg recruiters who provide professional development support around interviewing and resume creation.

The Bloomberg and HBCU ESG Trading Challenge is the latest addition to Bloomberg’s ever-growing relationship with HBCUs nationwide and represents Bloomberg’s commitment to nurturing a pipeline of diverse talent across financial services.

Source: Black Enterprise