Kingston Business School students trade their way to career success in International Bloomberg Challenge

Kingston University London students have been competing in the prestigious Bloomberg Global Trading Challenge, with 70 students across 14 teams managing virtual million-dollar portfolios as they navigate the ups and downs of global financial markets. The international competition sees Kingston Business School students making strategic investment decisions, analysing company performance, and responding to real-time market movements in a month-long challenge that mirrors the pressure and complexity of professional trading.

The annual competition is designed to help students build marketable skills through hands-on experience and is the only university investment competition to take place entirely within the Bloomberg Terminal – the world's preeminent market data and analytics system. Teams of three to five students receive $1 million in virtual USD to invest in stocks, using the Terminal to develop strategy and execute trades in a realistic, controlled environment mirroring real-world investing constraints.

Senior lecturer in finance, Louise Cooper, said the competition increased the students' graduate capital and gave them valuable experience. "Our students typically don't know anybody who works in the finance industry, and don't understand how competitive these jobs are,” she said.  “This competition gives them something substantial to talk about in interviews, to put on their CVs and cover letters, and to demonstrate genuine interest in the field. Extracurricular activities like the Bloomberg Challenge are essential for students seeking finance careers.”

The competition has provided students with immediate lessons in market dynamics and the importance of staying informed. "It's encouraging them to engage with business news in a way they never have before,” Ms Cooper explained. “When you see your position potentially at risk, you suddenly understand why interest rates matter, why Federal Reserve decisions move markets instantly and why you need to follow these events closely." 

The Kingston teams have been mentored by industry practitioners. Reece Carter-Allen graduated from Kingston Business School in 2019 with a degree in Accounting and Finance with Business Experience and now works on a trading desk, returned to share his journey with current students. Having been encouraged by the students' response to his presentation, he shared his straightforward advice to the teams. "Have fun – this competition is an incredible opportunity to learn in a low-risk environment while building skills that will genuinely differentiate you in the job market."

Chloe Boshi, a 22-year-old international student from Durban, South Africa, studying accounting and finance, became involved in the competition through the University’s RISE programme – a career progression initiative designed to help students secure employment after graduation. Her interest in trading was sparked during a summer finance tour organised through the Kingston Business School course, which included visits to multiple trading floors.

The competition has fundamentally changed Chloe's approach to financial markets. "Every evening I'm watching CNBC, trying to understand the markets and the economies of different countries and I pay special attention to the share prices affecting our investments," she said. “This experience helped me to develop my research skills, strategic thinking, and given me confidence to engage with industry professionals.”

Ms Cooper stressed that success in the competition wasn’t measured solely by financial returns, but rather by the learning process and interview skills students develop. "What matters in an interview isn't whether you made money – it's the thought process and strategic decision making," she explained. "Employers want to know how students went about selecting stocks, what valuations you considered, why you made particular decisions. Alumni have told me that a third of their finance job interviews focused on explaining their analysis, strategy and reasoning. It’s these skills that set our graduates up for a successful career." 

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