Microsoft Excel is the key tool in M&A and Transaction Advisory Services (TAS). Whether you’re working on Financial Due Diligence (FDD), building financial models or handling valuations, Excel is where most of the action happens. In these fast-paced fields, mastering Excel keyboard shortcuts is essential. You'll spend countless hours in Excel and not using keyboard shortcuts is a waste of time and will put you behind the competition.

Here are some crucial Excel keyboard shortcuts that will increase your efficiency and boost your career in the world of deals and M&A.

Paste Special is key to efficient Excel work in consulting. After copying (Ctrl + C), don't use Ctrl + V as it pastes everything. Instead, use Alt > E > S to open the Paste Special menu, then choose the option you need:

Accelerate Excel simplifies your workflow by offering 19 customizable formatting shortcuts via the Formats menu.

One of these is the Total Row format, which you can apply through:

Below is an example how we apply our Total Row format to the EBITDA row:

You can tailor these formats to whatever you need (include borders, fonts, colors, cell backgrounds, etc). Once set up, applying all these formats is just a quick keyboard shortcut sequence away.

See below how quickly you can format a P&L:

Excel skills are essential for deal consultants and mastering shortcuts is key. Excel keyboard shortcuts not only speed up your work but also free up time to focus on meaningful analysis. Put in the time now to learn them and you'll thank yourself later.

What are your favorite shortcuts? Did we miss any? Leave a comment below!