Formula for showing positve and negative percentage differences

**Glayva** · 09-02-2011, 05:40 AM

Hi all

I have a table showing visits to a website that shows weeks in column a and visits to a website in column b.

I want to show the percentage increase/decrease across the weeks and am using this forumula:

abs=(b3/b2)/B2

This shows me the % difference between w/c 25/7 and w/c 01/08 is 12.3% - which is fine and dandy. But - this is a drop of 12.3% (whereas there is an increase of 6% the follwoing week). Is there a formula I can use which will highlight in the table which are negative and which are positive differences? Preferably with a minus sign, but anything helpful.

Thanks

G

**Richard Buttrey** · 09-02-2011, 05:46 AM

Hi,

Please upload an example workbook showing your data and the result you expect to see. It's always much easier to help you if we can see your request in context.

Regards

**PaulG2011** · 09-02-2011, 05:51 AM

Hi Glayva,

Could you not use a formula with the format of:

difference = (( A2 - A1 ) / A1 * 100

If A2 (this weeks value) is bigger than A1 (last weeks value) the percentage change will be positive, otherwise its negative.

Once you have the formula in place, negative numbers will have a minus sign in front of them by default.

If you wanted to add a bit more emphasis you could also highlight the positive and negative values (e.g. negative is red, positive is green or whatever) using conditional formatting from the "Format ---> Conditional Formatting" menu.

Kind regards,

Paul

**Glayva** · 09-02-2011, 06:55 AM

Thanks @PaulG2011. I used =(B3-B2)/B2*100 and that worked fine and dandy.

Apologies Richard - I tried three times to add a copy of the table but it wasn't working and I was gettting called into a meeting with my boss!

G