Number Not Formatted as Expected with "Percentage" Format

This article was previously published under Q138821

In Microsoft Excel versions 7.0 and 97, when you format a blank cell with the percentage format and then enter a number in that cell, the number is multiplied by 100 only if the absolute value of the number is less than one AND you don't precede the decimal point (if present) with a zero. If the number is one or greater, a percentage sign is added to the number. For example:

   Typing this...   ...results in this
   -----------------------------------

   32                           32.00%
   .32                          32.00%
   0.32                          0.32%
		

This behavior is not documented correctly on the Number tab in the Format Cells dialog box. On the Number tab, the following message is displayed at the bottom of the tab:

   Percentage formats multiply the cell value by 100 and display the result
   with a percent symbol.
		

NOTE: When you enter a number between 0 and -1 into a cell that has been formatted with a percentage number format, and you precede the entry with a minus sign, the number is not multiplied by 100. To work around this behavior, enter negative numbers between 0 and -1 with parentheses marks. For example:

   Typing this...   ...results in this
   -----------------------------------

   -.05                         -0.05%
   (.05)                        -5.00%
		

Note also that in Microsoft Excel version 5.0, any number formatted as a percentage is multiplied by 100.