Excel Shortcuts Every Investment Banker Should Know

Time is money, especially in the fast-paced world of investment banking. Mastering Excel shortcuts can significantly boost productivity and efficiency, allowing you to focus on analysis and strategic thinking rather than wrestling with spreadsheets. Here are essential shortcuts every investment banker should have at their fingertips:

Navigation and Selection

• Ctrl + Arrow Keys: Jump to the edge of the current data region. Instantly move to the last cell in a column or row without dragging.
• Ctrl + Shift + Arrow Keys: Select the entire current data region. Perfect for highlighting an entire table for formatting or copying.
• Ctrl + Spacebar: Select the entire column of the active cell.
• Shift + Spacebar: Select the entire row of the active cell.
• Ctrl + A: Select all cells in the worksheet. Use with caution!
• Ctrl + Home: Go to cell A1.
• Ctrl + End: Go to the last used cell on the worksheet.
• Page Up/Page Down: Scroll up or down one screen.
• Alt + Page Up/Page Down: Scroll left or right one screen.

Data Entry and Editing

• Ctrl + D: Fill down from the cell above. Quickly replicate formulas or data down a column.
• Ctrl + R: Fill right from the cell to the left. Similar to Ctrl + D, but for filling across a row.
• Ctrl + ; (Semicolon): Insert the current date.
• Ctrl + Shift + : (Colon): Insert the current time.
• Alt + = (Equals): Insert AutoSum formula. Automatically sums the adjacent cells.
• F2: Edit the active cell. No need to double-click.
• Ctrl + Enter: Enter data into all selected cells. Useful for applying a formula across multiple cells simultaneously.

Formatting

• Ctrl + 1: Open the Format Cells dialog box. Provides access to all formatting options.
• Ctrl + Shift + 1: Format as a number with two decimal places and a thousands separator.
• Ctrl + Shift + 4: Format as currency with two decimal places.
• Ctrl + Shift + 5: Format as a percentage.
• Alt + H + H: Open the fill color dropdown.
• Alt + H + B + A: Apply all borders.

Formulas and Functions

• F4: Toggle between relative, absolute, and mixed cell references in a formula. Crucial for building dynamic models.
• Shift + F3: Insert function dialog box. Helpful for finding and understanding Excel functions.
• Ctrl + Shift + Enter: Enter an array formula. Important for certain advanced calculations.

Other Useful Shortcuts

• Ctrl + C: Copy.
• Ctrl + X: Cut.
• Ctrl + V: Paste.
• Ctrl + Z: Undo.
• Ctrl + Y: Redo.
• Ctrl + F: Find.
• Ctrl + H: Replace.
• Ctrl + S: Save. Save often!
• Ctrl + P: Print.
• Ctrl + Tab: Switch between open workbooks.
• Ctrl + Shift + L: Toggle the filter on/off for the selected range.

By incorporating these shortcuts into your daily workflow, you’ll become a more efficient and productive investment banker. Practice makes perfect, so try to use these shortcuts regularly until they become second nature.