Calcuating % of increase - negative amts

M

Mark

I am trying to calculate the % of increase in revenue
from one year to the next.

If Cell A2 (2003) is $100.00
If Cell A3 (2004)is $500.00
% of Increase in Cell A4 is 400% using the formula
=(A3-A2)/A2

This works great but my problem is that in SOME cases,
the previous year's revenue is in negative numbers. In
that case, it calculates the % of increase correctly but
it makes it a negative % instead of a positive one.


If Cell A2 (2003) is ($100.00)
If Cell A3 (2004)is $500.00
% of Increase in Cell A4 is -600% using the formula
=(A3-A2)/A2

This should be a positive 600%. Is there a way I can get
the %'s to be displayed correctly?

Thanks!

Mark
 
F

Frank Kabel

Hi Mark
if your previous year is a negative value and you have now a positive
value you CAN'T calculate a percentage for this increase. Even an
increase from
$0.00
to
$100.00
in one year can't be calculated (infinite result)
 
R

Ron Rosenfeld

This works great but my problem is that in SOME cases,
the previous year's revenue is in negative numbers. In
that case, it calculates the % of increase correctly but
it makes it a negative % instead of a positive one.


If Cell A2 (2003) is ($100.00)
If Cell A3 (2004)is $500.00
% of Increase in Cell A4 is -600% using the formula
=(A3-A2)/A2

This should be a positive 600%. Is there a way I can get
the %'s to be displayed correctly?
Click to expand...

Mark,

What you are trying to do is mathematically undefined and computationally
meaningless.

In stock analysis programs, the result returned is usually NA.


--ron
 
M

Mark

Thanks for the feedback. Of course, my next question
would then be... why wouldn't Excel return the result as
#N/A?
 
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