Growth rates question

[valenc]

Probably more of an algebraic question than it is an Excel question, but if I have 8 quarters' worth of year-over-year growth rates, is there a way to back into quarterly growth rates? For example:

Quarter ------- YoY Growth Rate
Q1'00 ------- 9%
Q2'00 ------- 11%
Q3'00 ------- 13%
Q4'00 ------- 17%
Q1'01 ------- 15%
Q2'01 ------- 10%
Q3'01 ------- 6%
Q4'01 ------- 4%

Is there a way I can use this data in Excel to back into what the growth rate was from Q3'01 to Q4'01?

 

[Asman_Kei]

I do not think this is possible. Below are two scenarios where the YOY growth rates match the numbers above, but the Q3'01 to Q4'01 quarterly growth rate differs:
[TABLE="width: 235"]
<colgroup><col><col><col></colgroup><tbody>[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2, align: left"][TABLE="width: 225"]
<colgroup><col><col span="2"><col></colgroup><tbody>[TR]
[TD][/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Scenario 1[/TD]
[TD="colspan: 2, align: left"]Scenario 2[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]Quarter [/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Revenue[/TD]
[TD="align: left"]Revenue[/TD]
[TD="align: left"] YoY[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q1'99[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10000.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10000.00[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q2'99[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10200.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10200.00[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q3'99[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10400.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10400.00[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q4'99[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10850.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10800.00[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q1'00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10900.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10900.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]9%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q2'00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11322.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11322.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q3'00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11752.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]11752.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]13%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q4'00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12694.50[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12636.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]17%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q1'01[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12535.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12535.00[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]15%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q2'01[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12454.20[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12454.20[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]10%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q3'01[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12457.12[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]12457.12[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]6%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Q4'01[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]13202.28[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]13141.44[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]4%[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]
[/TD]
[TD][/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

[TABLE="width: 136"]
<colgroup><col span="2"></colgroup><tbody>[TR]
[TD="colspan: 2, align: left"]Quartery Growth between Q3'01 and Q4'01 is:[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]Scenario 1[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]5.98%[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD="align: left"]Scenario 2[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]5.49%[/TD]
[/TR]
</tbody>[/TABLE]

Q3'01 is dependent upon Q3'00 and Q3'99, and is independent of any other quarter. Same goes for Q4'01 - dependent upon Q4'00 and Q4'99.

At least this is how it seems to me. I may be wrong as I usually don't do this sort of analysis.