Syntax
INTERCEPT(known_y, known_x)
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| known_y | Parameter of the INTERCEPT function. |
| known_x | Parameter of the INTERCEPT function. |
Examples
Fixed cost estimate
Formula
=INTERCEPT(C2:C20, B2:B20)
If C is total cost and B is production quantity, the intercept estimates fixed costs — the cost you'd have even with zero production.
Baseline metric
Formula
=INTERCEPT(D2:D13, A2:A13)
Returns the starting value (at x=0) of a trend line through monthly data. If A contains months 1-12, this is the estimated value at month 0.
Full regression equation
Formula
=INTERCEPT(Y, X) & " + " & SLOPE(Y, X) & "x"
Combines intercept and slope to display the regression equation as text, like '15000 + 2500x'.
Common Errors
#N/A
The known_y and known_x arrays have different lengths.
#DIV/0!
All x-values are the same (zero variance in x), making the regression line undefined.
Tips
May not be meaningful
The intercept assumes x=0 is a valid input. If your x-values range from 50 to 100, the intercept at x=0 is an extrapolation and may not make practical sense.
Argument order: y first, x second
Like SLOPE, the dependent variable (y) is the first argument. Swapping them gives a different and incorrect intercept.
Pair with FORECAST
Instead of manually computing SLOPE*x + INTERCEPT, use FORECAST(x, known_y, known_x) which does the same calculation in one step.
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