Help with searching external workbook for specified data and performing math against it

Hey there!!

I have an external excel file with hundreds of constantly fluctuating item numbers in the A column, and their corresponding prices in the B column. That's all the excel file is used for. I have another excel file which I'd like to use to perform calculations using this data. The only problem is, I can't always rely on "Clam Chowder" faithfully staying in A14. If I could, I wouldn't need help with this. One day, an item/cost may be in A4 and B4, but the next day they may be in A76/B76. I'm looking for some sort of formula that searches the ENTIRE A column of the external file for the text "Clam Chowder", and returns the value in the column next to it. I've successfully done this already using =INDEX('[myfile.xlsx]Table1'!$B$2:$B$500,MATCH("Clam Chowder",'[myfile.xlsx]Table1'!$A$2:$A$500,0)).

The only problem with my formula, is - I want to divide against the returned value. So, if the cost of Clam Chowder is $4.50 (yes, that's the actual value in the cell), my formula returns "$4.50" as a string. If I add /40 to the end of the formula (I want to divide it by 40), the value changes to $0 when it should change to $0.1125 if it worked. How do I extract data from that cell, but have it be a number that I can actually still play around with?

I'm sorry if this isn't clear. Is this even possible?

On a side note, I'd also like to automate the /40 part once I get it working. I'll reply explaining my question for that after I get the first part working...

Thanks!!

Wow - I'm pretty dumb. All I needed to do was expand the visible numbers after the decimal point. Jeez! Sorry guys...

While we're on the topic - if the external A column has, let's say Clam Chowder x30, x50 and x80 (in three separate columns, and three corresponding prices in the B column), How would I tell my formula to ONLY find the text with the greatest number. So, basically I'm saying I don't care about the x30 and x50 - I just care about the x80.

Is that possible?