liminfoStock Return Calculator
Free web tool: Stock Return Calculator
Total Return
$5,200.00
ROI
52.00%
Annualized Return
34.42%
Holding Period
1.4 yrs
Total Cost
$10,000.00
Total Revenue
$15,000.00
Capital Gain
$5,000.00
Dividends
$200.00
About Stock Return Calculator
The Stock Return Calculator computes the complete return on a stock investment, combining both capital appreciation and dividend income into a single comprehensive analysis. Enter the buy price per share, sell price per share, number of shares, purchase date, sale date, and total dividends received during the holding period. The calculator immediately displays total investment cost, total sale proceeds, capital gain (or loss), total dividends, total return in dollars, return on investment (ROI) as a percentage, holding period in years, and — critically — the annualized return using the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) formula.
The distinction between simple ROI and annualized return is essential for comparing investments held for different time periods. A stock that returned 50% over 3 years has an annualized return of (1.50)^(1/3) − 1 ≈ 14.5% per year, while a stock that returned 50% in one year has a 50% annualized return. This calculator uses the precise CAGR formula: annualized return = ((total cost + total return) / total cost)^(1/years) − 1. Holding period is calculated in fractional years based on the exact calendar days between buy and sell dates using 365.25 days per year.
Investors evaluating past stock performance, students learning portfolio analysis, and financial advisors preparing client performance reports all use this type of return calculation. All arithmetic executes in your browser using JavaScript — no investment data is transmitted to any server. Currency is displayed in USD format. The result cards use color coding: green for positive total return and red for losses, making profit and loss immediately visually apparent.
Key Features
- Total return calculation including both capital gain and dividends
- ROI percentage: (total return / total cost) × 100
- Annualized return (CAGR): ((ending value / beginning value)^(1/years) − 1) × 100
- Exact holding period in fractional years based on calendar days between buy and sell dates
- Complete profit/loss breakdown: total cost, total revenue, capital gain, and dividends shown separately
- Color-coded result cards: green for profit, neutral for other metrics
- Date picker inputs for precise buy and sell date entry
- 100% client-side — no investment data ever leaves your browser
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between ROI and annualized return?
ROI (return on investment) is the total percentage gain or loss relative to the original investment, regardless of how long the investment was held: ROI = (total return / total cost) × 100. Annualized return (CAGR) converts that total return into an equivalent yearly rate, making investments held for different durations comparable. For example, a 100% ROI over 10 years is only 7.2% per year annualized, while a 100% ROI in 2 years is 41.4% per year.
How is the annualized return (CAGR) calculated?
The annualized return uses the Compound Annual Growth Rate formula: CAGR = ((ending value / beginning value)^(1/years) − 1) × 100. In this calculator, beginning value is total cost (buy price × shares), ending value is total cost plus total return (capital gain + dividends), and years is the fractional holding period calculated from the exact calendar days between buy and sell dates divided by 365.25.
Should I include dividends when calculating stock return?
Yes. Total return on a stock investment consists of two components: price appreciation (capital gain) and dividend income. Excluding dividends understates actual returns, especially for dividend-paying stocks. For a stock paying 3–4% annual dividends, ignoring dividends over a 10-year holding period would understate total return by 30–40%. This calculator explicitly separates capital gain from dividends and combines them for total return.
What does the holding period in this calculator represent?
The holding period is the duration between the buy date and sell date, expressed in fractional years (e.g., 1.5 years for 18 months). It is calculated as (sell date − buy date) in days divided by 365.25 (using 365.25 to account for leap years). A minimum of 1 day is enforced to prevent division by zero. Holding period determines the annualized return calculation and also has tax implications: short-term (under 1 year) vs long-term (over 1 year) capital gains are taxed at different rates in many countries.
How do I calculate return if I bought shares at different prices (dollar-cost averaging)?
For a position built through multiple purchases at different prices (dollar-cost averaging), this calculator requires a single average buy price. Calculate your average cost basis first: total amount paid for all shares divided by total shares. For example, if you bought 50 shares at $100 and 50 shares at $120, your average cost is $110. Enter $110 as the buy price and 100 as the total shares for an accurate return calculation.
What is capital gain vs total return?
Capital gain (or loss) is the difference between the sale proceeds and the original purchase cost: (sell price − buy price) × shares. Total return adds any dividends received during the holding period to the capital gain: total return = capital gain + dividends. This is the complete measure of investment performance. A stock that lost $500 in price but paid $800 in dividends would show a capital loss of $500 but a total return of +$300.
Why is annualized return more useful than total ROI for comparing investments?
When comparing investments, annualized return (CAGR) is more informative than simple ROI because it controls for time. Investment A returning 80% over 10 years (6.1% annualized) is far inferior to Investment B returning 80% in 3 years (21.5% annualized), even though the ROI is the same. Annualized return allows apples-to-apples comparison across stocks held for different durations and against benchmarks like index fund average annual returns.
Does this calculator account for taxes or brokerage fees?
No. This calculator computes pre-tax, pre-fee gross returns. To calculate after-tax return, subtract your capital gains tax liability from the total return before dividing by total cost. To account for brokerage commissions, add buy-side fees to your total cost and subtract sell-side fees from your total revenue before entering those values. Most online brokers now offer commission-free trading, but older trades may have included per-transaction fees.