What do parentheses around a numeric entry on a spreadsheet, such as (5543.

In spreadsheets like Microsoft Excel, parentheses around a numeric entry, such as (5543.32), indicate a negative number, a standard accounting convention for displaying losses or debits. Option A (net profit) is unrelated to formatting. Option C (conditional statement) pertains to formulas, not display. Option D (alphabetic entry) is incorrect, as the value remains numeric. This question aligns with the Information Technology category, emphasizing spreadsheet conventions.