Calling excel snobs!

I’m certain this topic has seen its fair facts of airtime on WSO, but can we just hash it out? What’s better? XLOOKUP or Index match? Is index match more traditionalist or something? Am I missing a glaring pro or con? I only use index match because I thought once way back when in training someone said it was better but now I’m thinking they didn’t know any different. I’ve been index match since day like 6 with no real reason to use XLOOKUP. Is XLOOKUP maybe more intuitive? Yes, if you’re first learning it. They do the same thing no? If yes, which one is tuffer?

2 Comments
 
Most Helpful

Both are fine, minor limitations of XLOOKUP, only advise is to already use index or sumif if you can because more computationally efficient.

XLOOKUP isn't backwards compatible to Excel 2016 and 2019 (might impact some clients). XLOOKUP has a 'if not found' function. Also format/order of data might impact.

INDEX/MATCH is fine, though excel novices seem to find it less intuitive when learning.

 

Provident nihil molestiae consequatur eos molestias ipsum nisi aut. Ea consectetur eos repudiandae dolor. Id voluptas qui beatae eligendi qui impedit. Deserunt totam recusandae veniam iure in illum ea adipisci.

Enim debitis vero soluta incidunt repellendus. Iusto velit minus non possimus aperiam. Dignissimos eos aut ut repellat. Sunt nihil quia qui natus tempore nostrum qui.

Dolores veniam voluptatum occaecati necessitatibus. Est similique totam ut placeat modi. Officiis quidem aliquid vero qui placeat. Sint velit nihil veritatis.

Career Advancement Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • JPMorgan 01 98.3%
  • Guggenheim Partners 01 97.7%
  • Morgan Stanley 07 97.1%

Overall Employee Satisfaction

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Moelis & Company No 99.4%
  • Morgan Stanley 02 98.8%
  • Evercore 01 98.3%
  • BMO Capital Markets 12 97.7%
  • Banco Santander 01 97.1%

Professional Growth Opportunities

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Evercore 01 99.4%
  • Moelis & Company 01 98.9%
  • Morgan Stanley 05 98.3%
  • JPMorgan No 97.7%
  • Goldman Sachs 02 97.1%

Total Avg Compensation

June 2026 Investment Banking

  • Vice President (14) $434
  • Associates (44) $258
  • 3rd+ Year Analyst (8) $210
  • 2nd Year Analyst (22) $179
  • Intern/Summer Associate (13) $156
  • 1st Year Analyst (79) $150
  • Intern/Summer Analyst (73) $101
notes
16 IB Interviews Notes

“... there’s no excuse to not take advantage of the resources out there available to you. Best value for your $ are the...”

Leaderboard

success
From 10 rejections to 1 dream investment banking internship

“... I believe it was the single biggest reason why I ended up with an offer...”