By scrolling forward, you can access additional information, including contact details for the company, and a breakdown of the company's revenue and earnings by geographic region and market segment.
The page below is only the first page of ten pages of security description information. As you can see, the description page provides a brief overview of what the company does, as well as basic information such as a price quote, 52-week high and low, market capitalization, earnings per share, P/E Ratio, dividend yield, and more. The screenshot below shows page one of the Bloomberg description for Microsoft stock (similar screens are also available for many types of bonds and other asset classes). Once you have the correct ticker, the basic screen for beginning security analysis is the description page, Bloomberg abbreviation. The Bloomberg keyboard also has a special key for communicating with other users via email or instant message as well as a key that can be used when you require assistance. There are also special function keys for preferred stocks and funds. If they want to look at trading the US$ versus the Euro, most functions would be accessed with the key. For instance, if a user is interested in examining a stock, they will generally access it through the key.
The function keys along the top of the keyboard are mostly color coded yellow and allow a user to navigate by asset class: government bonds, corporate bonds, municipals, commodities, equity, currency, and more.
Additionally, Bloomberg keyboards incorporate color coding to make use more intuitive. Although it is similar to a standard desktop keyboard, Bloomberg terminals substitute the function keys on a standard keyboard (i.e., F4) with market sector keys. The first thing most people notice when they sit down in front of a Bloomberg terminal, is the keyboard. However, for many users these drawbacks may be outweighed by the cost savings over subscribing to the system as an individual. The downside of this approach is that you won't be able to customize the system and will have to share it with other users. Many larger libraries and universities have one, so that is a good place to start looking. The second method of accessing Bloomberg is to find a public facility that has a Bloomberg terminal.
Note: the software can be installed on most PCs, but the company will give you a special keyboard for navigating the system.
Should you decide to subscribe to your own service, Bloomberg can help you install the software over the phone, or can come out to visit you and assist in installation. However, be aware that Bloomberg is an expensive system and that having your own terminal may not be practical for all users. Pricing and terms of the contract are unique to each user and would be discussed when the sales team contacts you. The representative you speak with can then take down details of what you are looking for and have someone from the sales team contact you. You can do so by contacting them (general contact number is (212) 318-2000). The first is to subscribe to the Bloomberg service. There are two ways to begin using Bloomberg.