About the Trading Room

In January 2005, the Zarb School took a major step toward establishing a state-of-the-art trading room in C.V. Starr Hall (a technologically enhanced classroom building) by installing 34 Bloomberg terminals. These dual-panel terminals provide access to Bloomberg Professional data and information services.

Only a few business schools have this kind of facility. At each Bloomberg terminal, faculty and students have access to the same market data, analysis and news available to professional traders in financial institutions.

The second phase of construction was completed in August 2005. In this phase, the trading room was equipped with a wall board and a ticker that displays data from various equity, fixed income, foreign exchange and derivatives markets. Two high-definition televisions were also installed, which allow for coverage of various financial television networks and market announcements.

The trading room gives Hofstra faculty and students the ability to access and analyze a vast array of financial and economic data, apply analytical methods, conduct interactive trading simulations, and develop contemporary financial models. The structure and schedule of the facility is tied to courses and research projects in several disciplines, especially finance, business computer information systems and quantitative methods, as well as accounting, marketing and management.

Hofstra students are among the few who can gain invaluable experience using these systems prior to graduation, giving them a distinct advantage in obtaining high-level positions at financial institutions. Dr. Ahmet Karagozoglu, co-director of the trading room, said, "We plan to conduct regular seminars in the trading room for all Hofstra students to further develop their technical skills and to provide them with hands-on experience in using today's professional resources."