Excel Shortcuts

Quick Reference – The Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts for

Finance (IB, PE, HF/AM, ER, CF, etc.)

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The Fundamentals Rows & Columns Basic Formatting

Ctrl + O Open File Ctrl + Spacebar Select Column Alt, H Format Menu
Ctrl + N New File Shift + Spacebar Select Row Ctrl + 1 Format Dialog
Ctrl + P Print Ctrl + Shift + + Insert Cells / Ctrl + Alt + V Paste Special
Ctrl + S Save File Rows / Columns Ctrl + Alt + V, T Paste Formats
F12 Save File As Ctrl + – Delete Cells / Ctrl + Alt + V, V Paste Values
Ctrl + F4 Close File Rows / Columns Ctrl + Alt + V, F Paste Formulas
Alt + F4 Close Excel Right Mouse Insert Cut Cells Alt, H, FC Font Color
Esc Exit Dialog Button, E and Shift Over Alt, H, H Fill Color
Ctrl + C Copy Alt, A, G, G Group Rows / Alt, H, B Border Options
Ctrl + X Cut Columns Alt, H, A, L/C/ R Align Left /
Ctrl + V Paste Shift + Alt + Group Rows / Center/ Right
Ctrl + Z Undo Right Columns Alt, H, 6 Increase Indent
Ctrl + Y Redo Alt, A, U, U Ungroup Rows / Alt, H, 5 Decrease Indent
Ctrl + A Select All Columns Alt, H, 0 Increase
Ctrl + F Find Shift + Alt + Left Ungroup Rows / Decimal Places
Ctrl + H Replace Columns Alt, H, 9 Decrease
Alt + Tab Switch Windows Alt, A, J Show Grouped Decimal Places
Alt, T, O Options Menu Rows / Columns Ctrl + B Bold
F4 Repeat Last Alt, A, H Hide Grouped Ctrl + I Italics
Action Rows / Columns Ctrl + U Underline
Ctrl + F1 Show / Hide Ctrl + 5 Strikethrough
Ribbon Menu Workbooks & Worksheets Ctrl + Shift + & Add Borders
Ctrl + Shift + – Delete Borders
Ctrl + N New Workbook
Navigation & Data Selection Shift + Ctrl + ~ General
Ctrl + Tab Switch
Shift + Ctrl + ! Number
Arrow Keys Move Around Workbook
Shift + Ctrl + @ Time
Ctrl + Arrows Jump to Shift + F11 New Worksheet
Shift + Ctrl + # Date
Boundary Alt, H, D, S Del Worksheet
Shift + Ctrl + $ Currency
Shift + Arrows Select Cells Ctrl + PgUp Move to Left
Shift + Ctrl + % Percentage
Shift + Ctrl + Select to Worksheet
Shift + Ctrl + ^ Scientific
Arrows Boundary Ctrl + PgDn Move to Right
=TEXT(Cell, Displays cell
Shift + F8 Select Multiple Worksheet
Format) using custom
Areas Alt, H, O, M Move / Copy
format
Worksheet
Alt, H, O, I Auto-Fit Col.
Editing Cells Shift + Ctrl + Select Multiple
Alt, H, O, A Auto-Fit Row
PgUp / PgDn Worksheets
F2 Edit Cell Alt, H, O, W Column Width
Alt, H, O, U, S Hide Worksheet
Del Delete Cell Alt, H, O, H Row Height
Alt, H, O, U, H Show Worksheet
Contents Alt, H, L, R Conditional
Alt, H, O, R Rename
Ctrl + Arrows Skip Word(s) Formatting
Worksheet
Ctrl + Shift + Highlight Alt, H, T Format as Table
Alt, H, O, T Color Tab
Arrows Word(s)
Alt + Enter New Line in Cell
Ctrl + Enter / Edit and… Stay in
Tab / Shift + Place / Go Left /
Tab Go Right
 Excel Shortcuts
Quick Reference – The Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts for
Finance (IB, PE, HF/AM, ER, CF, etc.)

http://breakingintowallstreet.com

Dates & Times Formulas and Calculations Common Built-In Functions

=DATE (Year, Creates new = Enter Formula =SUM Sum Numbers
Month, Day) Date F9 Refresh All Alt + = Sum Adjacent
=NETWORKDAYS Business days F4 Anchor Cell Cells
(Start, End Date) in between 2 Ctrl + F3 Name Cell =COUNT Count # Entries
dates F5 Jump to Cell =AVERAGE Average
=EOMONTH Last day of Tab Use Suggested =MAX Maximum
(Start Date, # month after # Name =MIN Minimum
Months) months Shift + F3 Enter Built-In =SUMIF / Conditional
Ctrl + Shift + ; Current Time Function =SUMIFS Sum
Ctrl + ; Current Date Ctrl + Alt + V, F Paste Formulas =COUNTIF / Conditional
Ctrl + Alt + V, R Paste Formats =COUNTIFS Count
Text Tools & Functions & Formulas =SUMPRODUCT Multiply and
Ctrl + D Copy Down Sum Range
Alt, A, FT Text File Import
Ctrl + R Copy Right =ABS Absolute Value
=LEFT Chars from left
Ctrl + ’ Copy from =IF Conditional
=RIGHT Chars from right
Above =OR One Must Be
=MID Chars from…
F5, Alt + S, F, X Go to Formulas True
=FIND Search for text
F5, Alt + S, O, X Go to Constants =AND All Must Be
within text
Ctrl + ~ Show Formulas True
=SEARCH Same, but not
=IFERROR(Value, Calculates only =NPV (Discount Present Value
case sensitive
Value If Error) if no error Rate, Cash of Cash Flows
=LEN Length of text
Flows)
=SUBSTITUTE Replace text in
Lookups & Related Functions =XNPV (Rate, PV with
text with search
Values, Dates) irregular dates
=REPLACE Same, but use =VLOOKUP Match Value in
=IRR (Values) Internal Rate of
position instead (Value, Table, Left Column
Return of
Alt, A, E Text to Columns Column #) and Return
Investment
=TRIM Deletes Extra from Column #
=XIRR (Values, IRR with
Spaces =HLOOKUP Match Value in
Dates) irregular dates
=PROPER Capitalize All (Value, Table, Top Row and
First Letters Row #) Return from
=UPPER Make All Caps Row # Database and Array Functions
=LOWER Make All Lower =MATCH (Value, Find Item’s =DSUM (DB, Sums records
Row or Column Position in Field, Criteria) that match
Display & Printing Range) Row/Column criteria
=INDEX (Table, Return Item at =DCOUNT (DB, Counts records
Alt, W, F, F Freeze Panes
Row #, Col #) Row # and Field, Criteria) that match
Alt, W, Q Zoom
Column # criteria
Ctrl + Mouse Zoom
=INDIRECT (Ref) Returns cell at Ctrl + Shift + Enter Array
Scroll Wheel
reference given Enter Function
Alt, P, S, P Page Setup
by text =TRANSPOSE Converts rows
Alt, P, R, S Set Print Range
=ADDRESS (Row Creates cell (Rows or to columns and
to Selected Area
#, Col #) reference Columns) vice versa
Ctrl + F2 Print Preview
Alt, W, I Page Break View
Alt, W, L Normal View
Alt, W, VG Toggle Gridlines
 Excel Shortcuts
Quick Reference – The Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts for
Finance (IB, PE, HF/AM, ER, CF, etc.)

http://breakingintowallstreet.com

Auditing Formulas Filtering, Sorting & Validating Macros, VBA, and Forms
Ctrl + [ Immediate Alt, A, SS Sort Data Alt, F11 VBA Editor
Precedents Alt, A, SA Sort Ascending F5 (in VBA) Run Macro
Ctrl + ] Immediate Alt, A, SD Sort F2 (in VBA) Object Browser
Dependents Descending Ctrl + G (in VBA) Immediate
Alt, M, P Trace Ctrl + Shift + L Filter Data Window
Precedents Alt, A, Q Advanced Data Alt, L, I Form Control
Alt, M, D Trace Filter Alt, W, M, U Use Relative
Dependents Right Mouse Filter by Cell’s References
Alt, M, A, A Erase Traces Button, E, V Properties Alt, W, M, R Record Macro
Shift + Ctrl + { All Precedents Alt, A, M Remove Alt, W, M, V View Macros
Shift + Ctrl + } All Dependents Duplicates
F5 + Enter Jump to Alt, A, V, V Validate Data
Original Cell
Shift + F2 Add/Edit
Comment
Alt, R, D Del Comment
Alt, R, A Show All
Comments
F5, Alt, S, C Highlight Cells
w/ Comments

Pivot Tables
Graphs & Charts
Alt, N, V Pivot Table
Alt, N, C Column Chart
Alt, N, N Line Chart
Scenarios & Sensitivities Alt, N, Q Pie Chart
=CHOOSE Select from List Alt, N, B Bar Chart
(Number, Item1, based on Alt, N, X Text Box
Item2…) Number Alt, N, SD Combo Chart
=OFFSET(Cell, # Move # of Rows (2013+)
Rows, # Cols) and Columns Alt, N, R Recommended
from Cell Chart (2013+)
Alt, A, W, S Scenario Alt, JC, A Add Chart
Manager Element (2013+)
Alt, A, W, G Goal Seek Alt, JC Design Tab
Alt, A, W, T Data Table Alt, JA Layout Tab
(2007, 2010)
Alt, JO Format Tab
(2007, 2010)
Alt, JA Format Tab
(2013)

 Row Input Cell = Discount

Rate
 Column Input Cell =
Terminal Growth Rate
 Excel Shortcuts
Quick Reference – The Most Important Keyboard Shortcuts for
Finance (IB, PE, HF/AM, ER, CF, etc.)

http://breakingintowallstreet.com

Custom Number Formats

Example Data: Displayed As: Used For:

5 5.0x Valuation Multiples
-1200 (1,200.00) Negative Expenses
0 Balanced! Balance Sheet Checks
Wal-Mart Model – Wal-Mart Titles & Headers

Text on Left: [Blue]0.0 x;[Red](#,##0.00);"Balanced!";"Model - "@

1. The order for Custom Number Formats is: [Positive Style];

[Negative Style]; [Zero Style]; [Text Style]
2. If you include the “@” symbol and text, the text will appear
and the “@” will be replaced by what’s in the cell.
3. [Red] and [Blue] can be used for color coding.
4. For more on custom number formats, please see our separate
guide – this is just a brief summary.

Custom Keyboard Shortcuts

You can add custom shortcuts by right clicking the Quick Access Toolbar and going to “Customize Quick Access Toolbar,” or
you can right-click the button itself and go to “Add to Quick Access Toolbar.”

Then, you activate the shortcut by pressing the Alt key followed by its assigned number. Alt, 4 would change the spreadsheet
to a “Page Break” view here.

The Optimal Excel Settings – IMPORTANT!

Always make sure you go to the
Options menu (Alt, T, O), select
Formulas, and use the settings
shown on the right:

Ideally, you will also disable the

language bar and any plug-ins,
add-ins, or macros that interfere
with shortcuts, and any programs
that override built-in Excel shortcuts.

You can disable automatic error-checking if you want, but we recommend leaving it on; if you go the “Advanced” tab you can
change the direction the cursor moves after editing a cell, but we usually leave that alone.