Find the percentage gain or loss between a buy price and a sell price.
Please do not make financial decisions based on these results.
What is the Percentage Return Calculator?
Find the percentage gain or loss between a buy price and a sell price. To use the Percentage Return Calculator, enter buy price per share, sell price per share, shares, total fees; it returns percentage return, net profit, proceeds, and shows them instantly as you type.
Comparing returns
To judge past performance use the average return calculator and the ROI calculator. For projects with several cash flows, the IRR calculator gives a single comparable rate, and the payback period calculator shows how long it takes to recover the cost.
How to use the Percentage Return Calculator
- Fill in the fields. You will need Buy price per share ($), Sell price per share ($), Shares, Total fees ($). Use a rate of return you consider realistic; small changes compound into large differences. Fields marked optional can stay at zero.
- Read the result. The highlighted box gives the Percentage return, and the cards below show Net profit, Proceeds. Tables and charts break it down further.
- Test other scenarios. Results update as you type. Change one value at a time to see what drives the answer, and press Reset to go back to the defaults.
Formula and how it works
Example with real numbers
Here is the Percentage Return Calculator using the default values shown in the calculator above:
Inputs
| Buy price per share ($) | 42.5 |
|---|---|
| Sell price per share ($) | 51.8 |
| Shares | 100 |
| Total fees ($) | 10 |
Results
| Percentage return | 21.65% |
|---|---|
| Net profit | $920.00 |
| Proceeds | $5,170.00 |
With these inputs the calculator returns Percentage return: 21.65%. Change any value in the calculator to see how the result moves.
What if you change one input?
Sensitivity check: raising Buy price per share ($) from 42.5 to 51 (about 20% higher) and leaving everything else as in the example above changes the results like this:
| Result | Example | After the change | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Percentage return | 21.65% | 1.37% | -93.7% |
| Net profit | $920.00 | $70.00 | -92.4% |
| Proceeds | $5,170.00 | $5,170.00 | 0% |
The input that moves the result most is the one to check twice. Change it in the calculator above to test your own case.
What the results tell you
The results panel of the Percentage Return Calculator reports Percentage return, net profit and proceeds. Compare these figures while changing one input at a time, and use the related calculators below to look at the same situation from another angle.
Method and limits. This calculator applies the formula in the section above to your inputs, in your browser; nothing you enter is stored on our servers. Investment returns are not guaranteed. The result shows what the numbers you enter would produce, not what the market will do. It is for information, not financial, tax or legal advice.
Frequently asked questions
How do fees change my return?
Enter fees as part of the buy cost or deduct them from proceeds to get the net return.
Are investment returns guaranteed?
No. Real returns vary. Use these tools to compare scenarios, not to predict results.
What rate of return should I assume?
There is no guaranteed rate. Test a range of conservative and optimistic rates, and remember that fees and inflation reduce your real return.
Are the results guaranteed?
No. Results depend entirely on the numbers you enter and the formulas shown on this page. Please do not make financial decisions based on them alone; confirm important figures with a licensed professional.
Related investment calculators
- Expected Return Calculator
- Annualized Return Calculator
- Annualized Rate of Return Calculator
- Rate of Return Calculator
- Holding Period Return Calculator
- Capital Gains Yield Calculator
- Real Rate of Return Calculator
- Bond Calculator
- Average Return Calculator
- Appreciation Calculator
- APY Calculator
- MIRR Calculator - Modified Internal Rate of Return