Chart bars begin in negative area of chart

Dear Forum Members,

This is my first post so please forgive me if I have posted in the wrong place - I have reviewed previous threads & FAQs but am unable to find a solution to my problem either here or elsewhere on the web.

I have 3 data columns (cols B, C and D) which I wish to chart (as a bar chart) againts the dates in col' A. The data contains negative numbers and as you will see in the top chart of the attchment that works fine, with the exception that the horizontal axis displays the dates across the vertical axis begining at zero which partially obscures the negative bars. When I move the x axis to cross y at minus 40 (to put the dates below the chart), the dates display as I would like, but all of the data bars now begin at minus 40 (lower of the 2 charts in the attachment). I have tried to format the datasets to commence at zero but don't seem to have that as an option. Oddly, if I change the chart type to a line chart it works as I would expect, but not as a bar chart. Any help gratefully recieved. Thanks.

One way to approach this is to add another series containing only 0's and format the series to plot it on the secondary axes. You can then display the dates on the secondary horizontal axis and hide the primary horizontal axis labels, along with the secondary vertical axis labels. You'll also want to delete the legend entry for the helper series.

Format the axis labels position to be Low rather than next to axis