Change Month To Date Formula in Excel

Understanding Change Month To Date

The Change Month To Date formula in Excel (powered by MarketXLS) helps you quickly calculate the price change of a security from the start of the current month up to the latest market close. This value is essential for assessing short-term performance and making informed investment decisions.

• Ideal for tracking month-to-date returns on stocks and indices.
• Useful in daily portfolio updates and quick performance checks.
• Integrates seamlessly with other MarketXLS financial analytics functions.

Syntax and Parameters

Use the ChangeMTD function to get the month-to-date change.

=ChangeMTD(Symbol)

Return Value

• Returns the numeric value for the price change from the start of the month to the current date.
• If the symbol is invalid or there is an internal error, NA is returned.

?? Note: Data for extremely old dates (beyond 11 years) may not be available.

? Pro Tip: Combine ChangeMTD with other MarketXLS functions for deeper insights, like total returns over multiple periods or dividend adjustments.

Examples and Usage

Here are some practical ways to use ChangeMTD:

1. Direct symbol usage:

   =ChangeMTD("MSFT")

   Retrieves the month-to-date price change for Microsoft.

2. Tracking major index changes:

   =ChangeMTD("^SPX")

   Shows how the S&P 500 has moved since the start of the month.

3. Monitoring options:

   =ChangeMTD("@MSFT 110122C00020000")

   Checks the month-to-date change for a specific Microsoft call option.

4. Cryptocurrency check:

   =ChangeMTD("BTCUSD:DEFAULT")

   Retrieves the month-to-date change of Bitcoin against USD.

?? Note: The formula does not require date inputs; it automatically calculates the change from the first trading day of the current month to the latest available data.

Common Questions

1. Why do I get "NA" when using ChangeMTD?

• Ensure the symbol is valid and properly formatted.
• Check that your MarketXLS license is active.
• Data might be unavailable for symbols older than 11 years.

2. Does ChangeMTD account for dividends?

• By default, this formula calculates the price change rather than total return. To account for dividends or total return, consider other MarketXLS functions specifically designed for dividend-adjusted calculations.

3. How can I improve performance when pulling multiple symbols?

• Use MarketXLS caching options and avoid recalculating large volumes of data simultaneously.
• Refresh your data once per daily session to reduce overhead.

4. When should I use ChangeMTD vs. other return-based formulas?

• ChangeMTD is ideal for capturing performance within the current month. For longer periods (like 30 days, 6 months, or 1 year), consider the specialized MarketXLS functions designed for those intervals.