How can I evaluate whether a trend is positive or negative?

[Guest]

I am trying to create an IF formula that returs POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, or STABLE
depending on the trend found in a data series. Does anybody know how can I
evaluate a data series for a positive/negative/stable trend? For instance, I
have the following data set:

MONTH January,February,March,April
SALES 100,200,300,100

If I use a chart to analyze this data, I can visually identify it is a
positive trend. Can I get that simple answer using a formula, rather than a
chart?

Thank you!

 

[David Biddulph]

=SLOPE(B2:E2,B1:E1) would work out the trend,
if your SALES numbers are in B2:E2 and your dates are in B1:E1 (and if they
really are dates, rather than text).

You would obviously have to decide how close to zero you would accept as
STABLE, then you could use an IF() formula to separate the values and give
your POSITIVE, NEGATIVE, or STABLE outputs.

 

[Guest]

Leotoni,
assign 1,2,3,..... to the months and have an array with the sales figures.
There's SLOPE function which gives the x-angle of the data series. Depending
on value you construct an IF statement so that user gets the STABLE... etc
info you want.
HTH

 

[Guest]

In A1 thru B4:

1 100
2 200
3 300
4 100

in another cell:

=SLOPE(B1:B4,A1:A4)

POSITIVE is positive
NEGATIVE is negative
STABLE is "very close" to zero

 

[Guest]

SLOPE did the trick! Thank you very much for your help, DanGSB!

 

[Guest]

SLOPE did the trick! Thank you very much for your help, David!

 

[Guest]

That did the trick! Thank you very much for the help!