Autosum

Use the Autosum formula in Excel to save time with financial modeling

Written by CFI Team

Read Time 2 minutes

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What is the Autosum Excel Function?

The Autosum Excel Function[1] can be accessed by typing ALT + the = sign in a spreadsheet, and it will automatically create a formula to sum all the numbers in a continuous range. This function is a great way to speed up your financial analysis. It allows you to easily add up a series of numbers either vertically or horizontally without having to use the mouse or even the arrow keys on the keyboard!

For a financial analyst performing calculations all day long, even a small increase in speed for one function can add up to a lot of time saved over the course of a day, week, or year.

In industries like investment banking , keyboard shortcuts such as Autosum Excel are critical, and analysts are expected to know them all by heart (see our guide on how to get a job in investment banking).

How Autosum Excel Works

The Autosum Excel shortcut is very simple – just type two keys:

ALT =

Step 1: Place the cursor below the column of numbers you want to sum (or to the left of the row of numbers you want to sum).

Step 2: Hold down the Alt key and then press the equals = sign while still holding Alt.

Step 3: Press Enter.

Example of the Autosum Excel function

Here are two screenshots of the Autosum Excel shortcut in action.

The first example shows the Autosum formula being used in a vertical series of numbers, and the second example shows the formula used on a horizontal series of numbers.

It’s important to place your cursor in the correct place before pressing “Alt =”.

See Excel screenshots example below:

Autosum Excel Function

Autosum Excel Example

Video Tutorial – AUTOSUM Function in Excel

To learn more about how to use the AUTOSUM Function in Excel, check out the video below:

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More Excel Guides

Thank you for reading this CFI guide to using the Autosum Excel shortcut to speed up your financial analyst work in spreadsheets. To keep learning and advancing your career, CFI highly recommends these additional resources:

Article Sources

Autosum Excel Function

Additional Resources

CFI is a global provider of financial modeling courses and of the FMVA Certification. CFI’s mission is to help all professionals improve their technical skills. If you are a student or looking for a career change, the CFI website has many free resources to help you jumpstart your Career in Finance. If you are seeking to improve your technical skills, check out some of our most popular courses. Below are some additional resources for you to further explore:

The Financial Modeling Certification

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Below is a break down of subject weightings in the FMVA® financial analyst program. As you can see there is a heavy focus on financial modeling, finance, Excel, business valuation, budgeting/forecasting, PowerPoint presentations, accounting and business strategy.

A well rounded financial analyst possesses all of the above skills!

Additional Questions & Answers

CFI is the global institution behind the financial modeling and valuation analyst FMVA® Designation. CFI is on a mission to enable anyone to be a great financial analyst and have a great career path. In order to help you advance your career, CFI has compiled many resources to assist you along the path.

In order to become a great financial analyst, here are some more questions and answers for you to discover: