Trend calculation

[SharonD]

I have sales figures for several years. I need to calculate the % of increase or decrease for the "trend." So stumped!
I have this sample - haven't been able to figure out the calculation.
2013 6.51
2012 7.34
2011 10.39
2010 6.17
2009 3.78
2008 2.68

Trend 26.40%

 

[stapel]

I have sales figures for several years. I need to calculate the % of increase or decrease for the "trend." So stumped!
I have this sample - haven't been able to figure out the calculation.
2013 6.51
2012 7.34
2011 10.39
2010 6.17
2009 3.78
2008 2.68

Trend 26.40%

Please reply with the full and exact text of the exercise, along with the complete instructions. When you reply, please clarify what you mean by "calculating the percentage of increase or decrease for the trend", and what is mean by "the trend". Thank you!

 

[SharonD]

Those #'s I posted are actually what I am trying to do. Those are Earnings Per Share figures and the 26.40% is the expected growth based on those #'s. Those #'s are on a sample page. I was going over them to try to figure how out I am supposed to do it with my #'s. I was on another math page & here's what it said (not a person). Subtract the oldest year's # (2008) from the newest year (2013), so 6.51-2.68. Divide the answer by the oldest year. So that would be 3.83/2.68... Doesn't make sense to me. I have several sample essays here, and they all "trend" 's.

 

[Ludwik]

I have sales figures for several years. I need to calculate the % of increase or decrease for the "trend." So stumped!
I have this sample - haven't been able to figure out the calculation.
2013 6.51
2012 7.34
2011 10.39
2010 6.17
2009 3.78
2008 2.68

Trend 26.40%

I understand trend to be the line of best fit. Assuming you would use a linear trend line. Once you have the equation of the line of best fit, you would need to calculate the gradient of the straight line. A gradient of +1, would mean 100%, where has -0.5 would be -50% increase (i.e 50% decrease).

This link here should explain how to calculate the line of best fit. You could also use excel to determine the line of best fit.

http://hotmath.com/hotmath_help/topics/line-of-best-fit.html

Regards,
Ludwik