Bloomberg Terminal Shortcuts Cheat Sheet
How Bloomberg Commands Work
Bloomberg uses a simple syntax: type a ticker, then a function code, then press <GO> (Enter). For example, AAPL US Equity DES <GO> pulls up Apple’s company description. You can also type function codes directly without a ticker for market-wide screens.
Equity Research Commands
| Command | Function | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| DES | Description | Company overview, sector, key stats |
| FA | Financial Analysis | Financial statements, ratios, growth |
| GP | Graph Price | Interactive stock price chart |
| RV | Relative Value | Peer comp analysis with multiples |
| ANR | Analyst Recommendations | Buy/hold/sell ratings and price targets |
| ERN | Earnings Analysis | EPS estimates, surprises, revisions |
| DVD | Dividend History | Dividend payments and yield history |
| SPLC | Supply Chain | Suppliers, customers, competitors |
| OMON | Options Monitor | Options chain with Greeks |
| SI | Short Interest | Short selling data and trends |
| MGMT | Management | Executive team and board |
| CACS | Corporate Actions | Splits, dividends, M&A history |
Fixed Income Commands
| Command | Function | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| YAS | Yield Analysis | Bond pricing, yield, spread analysis |
| GY | Government Yields | Treasury yield curves by country |
| RATD | Ratings Detail | Credit ratings from all agencies |
| SRCH | Bond Search | Screen bonds by criteria |
| FIHM | Fixed Income Homepage | Fixed income market overview |
| CAST | Cash Flow Table | Bond cash flow schedule |
Economics & Macro Commands
| Command | Function | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| ECO | Economic Calendar | Upcoming economic data releases |
| ECFC | Economic Forecasts | Consensus GDP, CPI, jobs estimates |
| WIRP | World Interest Rate Probability | Fed rate move probabilities |
| FOMC | FOMC Monitor | Fed meeting tracker and dot plot |
| WEI | World Equity Indices | Global stock index performance |
| FXIP | FX Information Portal | Currency market overview |
| ALLX | All Quotes | Treasury bond prices in real time |
M&A and Deal Commands
| Command | Function | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| MA | M&A Browser | Merger and acquisition deal search |
| LEAG | League Tables | Investment bank deal rankings |
| DDIS | Deal Discussion | Deal details, terms, timeline |
| CACT | Corporate Actions | Pending and completed deals |
Screening & News
| Command | Function | What It Shows |
|---|---|---|
| EQS | Equity Screener | Screen stocks by financial criteria |
| TOP | Top News | Breaking financial news |
| BN | Bloomberg News | News by topic |
| NH | News Headlines | Company-specific news |
| XLTP | Excel Template | Pull Bloomberg data into Excel |
| BQL | Bloomberg Query Language | Programmatic data extraction |
Key Takeaways
- Master the core equity commands (DES, FA, GP, RV, ANR) — they cover 80% of equity research needs.
- WIRP is the go-to command for tracking Fed rate probabilities before every meeting.
- Use XLTP and BQL to pull Bloomberg data directly into Excel for financial modeling.
- EQS (equity screener) lets you build custom stock screens with hundreds of financial filters.
- Bloomberg Terminal costs ~$24,000/year per seat — learn these commands to maximize your ROI.
FAQ
How much does a Bloomberg Terminal cost?
A Bloomberg Terminal subscription costs approximately $24,000 per year per user (about $2,000/month). Volume discounts are available for large firms. There is no free tier, though Bloomberg offers limited academic access.
What is the most used Bloomberg command?
DES (Description) and FA (Financial Analysis) are the most commonly used commands. For traders, GP (Graph Price) and OMON (Options Monitor) are essential. For macro analysts, ECO and WIRP are daily staples.
Can I use Bloomberg without a terminal?
Bloomberg offers a mobile app and Bloomberg Anywhere (remote access) for terminal subscribers. Bloomberg.com provides free news but no terminal data. Some universities offer Bloomberg Lab access for students.
How do I pull Bloomberg data into Excel?
Use the Bloomberg Excel Add-In, which installs automatically with the terminal. The XLTP command opens pre-built templates. For custom queries, use BDP (single data point), BDH (historical data), and BDS (bulk data) functions within Excel.
What are alternatives to Bloomberg Terminal?
Main alternatives include Refinitiv Eikon (~$22,000/year), FactSet (~$12,000/year), S&P Capital IQ (~$15,000/year), and free tools like Yahoo Finance and FRED for basic data. None match Bloomberg’s breadth, but they can be more cost-effective for specific use cases.