Bloomberg Lab opens global market information to Lafayette students

By Bryan Hay 

Eric Wang ’26 (economics) rubs his chin and leans into his Bloomberg Lab terminal, watching Palantir Technologies stock decline in real time.

“I think it’s dropped 12 or 13% today,” he says of the data analytics firm’s stock performance. “They do AI modeling, and these models can be commoditized. Oil companies use Palantir to figure out potential areas to shorten the time for deliveries, retailers use them to boost sales, and the U.S. government uses the modeling to neutralize threats.”

Eric Wang ’26 | Photo by Adam Atkinson

It’s just one industry snapshot in a boundless universe of data and information now open to Lafayette students and faculty.

The Bloomberg Lab, on the second floor of the new William E. Simon Center for Economics and Business, offers 12 terminals that access real-time data from markets around the world, as well as news, research, and powerful analytics used by professionals in finance, business, and government. Named after the financial information, software, and media firm founded by Michael Bloomberg, the lab and its terminals are the same as the ones used daily by investors, traders, and investment firms.

For students, the Bloomberg system also offers a series of credentials to strengthen job applications and help young graduates get a competitive edge in the workforce. Certificates are awarded after successful competition of e-learning courses in Bloomberg finance fundamentals, market concepts, and environmental social governance.

Hasnat Aslam ’27 (economics and philosophy), head analyst for the Lafayette Investment Club, says Bloomberg is the industry standard when it comes to delving into financial data.

“I’m going to be a trader after graduation. My life is basically going to be a Bloomberg terminal,” he says. “A Lafayette education is liberal arts centered, a very fulfilling experience. The Bloomberg lab is part of that, providing state-of-the-art professional equipment to prepare us for life after Lafayette in very specific ways.”

Hasnat Aslam ’27 | Photo by Adam Atkinson

Aslam values how information can be instantly accessed from anywhere across the globe in a consolidated platform that provides tools to analyze the data.

“For example, if I’m looking at an energy company, I can actually see the number of oil cargoes within the New York export terminal,” he says, noting how Bloomberg lab has been very useful in helping manage the investment club’s $1.4 million portfolio.

Lafayette is fortunate to have a Bloomberg Lab, which are more commonly found at major business schools, notes Yang Jie, assistant professor of economics. While the lab is primarily used by economics students, it’s also available to others who are interested in investing and finance as part of their academic disciplines.

“They can email us, and we will grant them access,” Jie says.

“Students are excited in having this and being able to utilize it for their own study purposes or to help them establish their careers,” she adds. “And the investment club utilizes this lab to help make stock pitches.”

The lab is also used to enhance student learning in ECON 320: Corporate Finance and ECON 321: Investments.

Prof. Yang Jie, assistant professor of economics, and Eric Wang ’26 | Photo by Adam Atkinson

Wang, also a member of the investment club who plans on a career as a derivative trader, enjoys looking at the Bloomberg map to see the exact location of oil tankers and how that intelligence influences the global oil report issued every Wednesday at 10 a.m. (ET).

“It’s just interesting to see all the different flows of fluids, specifically energy- related liquids like oil and natural gas,” he says. “The unique thing about Bloomberg is you can get all the data from anywhere and at any time. The Bloomberg Lab has been a great addition to my experience as a Lafayette economics student, opening up the world to the same kind of information that’s seen on Wall Street and trading houses across the globe.”