Are you tired of getting lost in a sea of numbers, struggling with fixed formulas and rigid spreadsheets? Fear not! In this article, I’ll show you how to calculate the simple moving average in Google Sheets using dynamic formulas. Get ready to level up your data management game!
Understanding the Simple Moving Average
The simple moving average, often used in technical analysis for trading and investing, measures changes in value over time. It’s a powerful tool to keep track of stock performance, especially when the numbers start to blur together.
So, How Do You Calculate the Simple Moving Average?
To calculate the simple moving average, we’ll combine the GOOGLEFINANCE and AVERAGE functions in Google Sheets. Let’s break down each function:
The Syntax of the GOOGLEFINANCE Function in Google Sheets
=GOOGLEFINANCE(ticker,[attribute],[start_date],[end_date|num_days],[interval])
- The
GOOGLEFINANCE
function retrieves current or historical data from Google Finance. Ticker
represents the stock symbol of the company you want to analyze.Attribute
specifies the information you want to retrieve (if left blank, it retrieves the price).Start_date
andEnd_date|num_days
determine the time range you want to analyze.Interval
determines the frequency of the data.
The Syntax of the AVERAGE Function in Google Sheets
=AVERAGE(value1,[value2,...])
- The
AVERAGE
function calculates the average of the given values or ranges.
Now, let’s see how we combine these functions to calculate the simple moving average!
A Concrete Example of Calculating the Simple Moving Average
Suppose you want to find the 4-month moving average of orders received by your company, starting from January 2019. Follow these steps:
- Choose the cell where you want your financial data to appear (e.g., B4).
- Type the equals sign and the
GOOGLEFINANCE
function. - Fill in the required inputs: the stock symbol (e.g., “GOOG”) and the desired time range.
- Press Enter, and the data will appear with the appropriate headers.
- Create another column for your simple moving average using the
AVERAGE
function. - Specify the range by adding the previous 7 daily entries.
- Press Enter.
- Fill the rest of the column with the same formula using the handle in the bottom right.
Voila! You’ve successfully calculated the simple moving average in Google Sheets, and you can now highlight a set of alternating rows without compromising your data integrity. But that’s not all!
Did you know that you can pair your data visualization skills with other Google Sheets formulas to create truly powerful data documents? The possibilities are endless!
To delve deeper into the world of Google Sheets and uncover more tips and tricks, don’t forget to check out Crawlan.com. Our website is a treasure trove of knowledge to help you excel in Google Sheets and beyond.
Now go forth and conquer the realm of data management like a pro. Your spreadsheets will never be the same again!