You MAY want to check the returned value of the VLOOKUP, maybe like:
=IF(VLOOKUP(A5,'C:\Documents and Settings\Gillian Mason\My
Documents\MDA\[copy 2Share
Recommendations.xls]Stocks'!$B$10:$D$413,2)=A5,1,"")
(I added "=A5" to the formula).
Your formula is testing if the VLOOKUP is anything but False. Since it
isn't, it returns a 1.
HTH
Bob Umlas
Excel MVP

"Micayla Bergen" wrote in message
...
i have this formula in 3 columns but w different tabs in the spreadsheet
=IF(VLOOKUP(A5,'C:\Documents and Settings\Gillian Mason\My
Documents\MDA\[copy 2Share
Recommendations.xls]Stocks'!$B$10:$D$413,2),1,"")
i.e. a column looking in the "shares" tab then "stocks" then "model",
however they all return a value of 1 even though A5 will only be found in
one
of them.
i am not sure what i have done wrong.

thanks anyone