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How to Fix Excel Stock Data Formulas Returning #NAME? on Mac

Amos Gikunda Sep 29, 2026 868 views

Question details

The user needs to resolve an issue in Excel for Mac where stock data extraction formulas suddenly stop working and return error codes.

How to Fix Excel Stock Data Formulas Returning #NAME? on Mac

Product: Excel for Mac
Device & OS: Mac
Scenario: Extracting financial market data using connected data types and formulas like =_FV([@Company],"Price") or =@Company.Price.
Observed behavior: Formulas that previously fetched stock market information now fail to recognize the data type and return a #NAME? error.

Before you start

Ensure your Mac is connected to the internet and that you are actively signed into your Microsoft 365 subscription, as Stock data types require an active online connection to function.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify Account Sign-In and Data Connections

Check your Microsoft 365 subscription status and refresh the data connections, as stock data features require active authentication.

The #NAME? error often appears when Excel cannot validate the connected data type due to a lapsed session or an offline state.

Open Excel Account Settings

Launch Excel on your Mac and click on your profile picture or initials in the top-left corner of the workbook.

Verify Subscription Status

Ensure you are signed in with the account associated with your active Microsoft 365 subscription. If you see an alert, sign out and sign back in to refresh your credentials.

Refresh Data Types

Navigate to the Data tab on the ribbon and click 'Refresh All' to force Excel to reconnect to the online data services.

Verify Account Sign-In and Data Connections

Supported Data Types: Verify that your workbook uses supported Stocks data types. If the cells have lost their data type formatting, you may need to reapply the 'Stocks' data type from the Data tab.

Solution 2

Rollback to a Previous Version of Office for Mac

If the issue began immediately after updating to a new version (such as 16.104.1), reverting to an earlier stable build can serve as a temporary workaround.

Solution 3

Submit Feedback to Microsoft

Reporting the bug directly to Microsoft ensures the development team is aware of the broken formulas and can prioritize a fix.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why do my Excel formulas suddenly show #NAME?

The #NAME? error occurs when Excel does not recognize text in a formula. This typically happens if a function is misspelled, a required add-in is missing, or, in the case of Stock data, if the connected data types feature fails to authenticate or load properly.

Do I need a Microsoft 365 subscription to use Stock data types?

Yes, the Stocks and Geography connected data types require an active Microsoft 365 subscription and a stable internet connection to pull real-time market data from online sources.

How do I stop Excel for Mac from automatically updating?

Open any Office application, go to the Help menu, and select Check for Updates. In the Microsoft AutoUpdate tool that appears, uncheck the box that says 'Automatically keep Microsoft Apps up to date'.

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