"How to Show Gain or Loss in Excel"

In the world of finance, it is essential to track the gain or loss of an investment or business transaction. Microsoft Excel, one of the most popular spreadsheet programs, allows users to easily perform calculations and display the results in various formats. This article will provide step-by-step instructions on how to show gain or loss in Excel, using basic and advanced features.

1. Basic Gain or Loss Calculation

To calculate gain or loss, you first need to create two columns next to each other on your Excel worksheet. The first column should contain the purchase price or initial investment, and the second column should contain the sale price or final value.

a. Name the first column "Purchase Price" and the second column "Sale Price".

b. In the "Sale Price" column, enter the sale price or final value.

c. In the "Purchase Price" column, enter the purchase price or initial investment.

d. To calculate gain or loss, enter the formula "=SALE_PRICE - PURCHASE_PRICE" in the "Gain/Loss" column.

e. Press Enter and the result should appear in the "Gain/Loss" column.

2. Advanced Gain or Loss Calculation

In some cases, you may need to calculate gain or loss using more complex formulas or data. Here are some advanced techniques to consider:

a. Percentage Change: Instead of using simple subtraction to calculate gain or loss, you can use the % change formula to show the percentage increase or decrease.

i. Name the first column "Purchase Price" and the second column "Sale Price".

ii. In the "Sale Price" column, enter the sale price or final value.

iii. In the "Purchase Price" column, enter the purchase price or initial investment.

iv. To calculate the percentage change, enter the formula "=(SALE_PRICE - PURCHASE_PRICE)/PURCHASE_PRICE * 100" in the "Percentage Change" column.

v. Press Enter and the result should appear in the "Percentage Change" column.

b. Calculating Net Gain or Loss: If you have multiple transactions or investments, you can use a formula to calculate the net gain or loss.

i. Create a new column named "Total Gain/Loss" and enter the formula "=SUM((SALE_PRICE - PURCHASE_PRICE) * ROW())" in this column.

ii. Press Enter and the result should appear in the "Total Gain/Loss" column.

iii. To display the net gain or loss, copy the "Total Gain/Loss" column to the "Net Gain/Loss" column and format the text as needed.

Displaying gain or loss in Excel is a simple task using basic and advanced formulas. By understanding these basic and advanced techniques, you can create professional-looking gain or loss reports and easily track the performance of your investments or business transactions.