Math
Round to Nearest 10, 100, 1,000 or Million (Negative num_digits)
Round board-deck budgets, headcount forecasts, and property valuations to the LEFT of the decimal point using negative num_digits in ROUND(x, -3), ROUNDUP(x, -3), and ROUNDDOWN(x, -6).
Use negative num_digits (-1, -2, -3, -6) to round to the left of the decimal!
Everyone knows ROUND(B2, 2) rounds to 2 decimal places (cents), and ROUND(B2, 0) rounds to the nearest whole dollar—but many analysts divide by 1,000, round, and multiply back by 1,000 when preparing executive board summaries! Built right into ROUND, ROUNDUP, and ROUNDDOWN, a NEGATIVE second argument rounds to powers of 10 to the LEFT of the decimal point!
Specifically: num_digits = -1 rounds to the nearest 10; -2 to the nearest 100; -3 to the nearest 1,000 ($1k); and -6 to the nearest 1,000,000 ($1M)! Even better, =ROUNDUP(B2, -3) always steps UP to the next $1,000 credit-line increment, while =ROUNDDOWN(B2, -3) floors conservatively!
| Rounding Target (Raw Value B2 = $1,487,620) | Formula | num_digits Meaning | Verified Result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nearest $10 | =ROUND(B2, -1) | 10^1 = 10s place | 1,487,620 |
| Nearest $1,000 ($K) | =ROUND(B2, -3) | 10^3 = 1,000s place | 1,488,000 |
| Conservative Floor $1,000 | =ROUNDDOWN(B2, -3) | Truncate below 1,000s | 1,487,000 |
| Nearest $1,000,000 ($M) | =ROUND(B2, -6) | 10^6 = Millions place | 1,000,000 ($1.5M+ -> 2,000,000) |
Round to Nearest $1,000 (ROUND with num_digits = -3)
Rounds half-away-from-zero at the 500 midpoint ($1,487,500 -> $1,488,000).
=ROUND(B2, -3)Round Up or Down to Nearest Power-of-10 Increment (-2, -3, -6)
Uses dynamic exponent cell B3 (e.g., -3 for thousands, -6 for millions) inside ROUNDUP / ROUNDDOWN.
=ROUNDUP(B2, B3)Try the example
Use the original values or change them to test your understanding.