Line chart with many data points

This example shows a line chart plotted with over 8000 data points. The data itself is daily stock market information for Microsoft Corporation over a period of more than 30 years. Only the closing price is plotted. When you first create a line chart with this much data, the x-axis will be crowded with labels. The key is to adjust the bounds and units for the in the Axis options area. In this case, the axis is formatted as a date axis.

April 14, 2025 · 1 min · 175 words · Jeffrey Hardy

Table of Contents

This example shows a line chart plotted with over 8000 data points.

The data itself is daily stock market information for Microsoft Corporation over a period of more than 30 years.

Only the closing price is plotted.

Sample data - daily stock data for more then 30 years

When you first create a line chart with this much data, the x-axis will be crowded with labels.

The key is to adjust the bounds and units for the in the Axis options area.

In this case, the axis is formatted as a date axis.

Sample data - daily stock data for more then 30 years

Data

Below is a small sample of the data used to plot this chart.

This data can be downloaded fromYahoo Finance.

Steps to create

1.

Sample data - daily stock data for more then 30 years

Create a Line Chart with Date and Close data only.

Remove extra data series, leaving only Date and Close.

confirm x-axis is formatted as a Date axis.

Sample data - daily stock data for more then 30 years

Set Major units to 5 years, minor units to 1 year.

Set bounds to 1/1/1990 and 1/1/2020.

Applynumber formatto the axis (“yyyy”) in this case.

Sample data - daily stock data for more then 30 years

Adjust upper bounds for y-axis as desired.

Add a title and apply text formatting as needed