Stock Profit Calculator
See the real profit and return on a trade after commissions and sell-side taxes, plus the break-even price and the gain needed to recover a loss.
Commissions are worked out per trade from the percentage plus the flat fee. Put any tax or regulatory fee charged when you sell (such as stamp duty or a transaction levy) in the sell-side box. Capital gains tax is not included.
| Loss | Gain needed to break even |
|---|---|
| -10% | +11.1% |
| -20% | +25% |
| -30% | +42.9% |
| -40% | +66.7% |
| -50% | +100% |
| -60% | +150% |
| -70% | +233.3% |
| -80% | +400% |
| -90% | +900% |
How to use the Stock Profit Calculator
- Enter the buy price, the sell price (or today's price if you still hold) and the number of shares.
- Add your broker's commission as a percentage, a flat fee per trade, or both, and any tax or fee charged when you sell.
- The net profit, return, break-even sell price and, if you set one, the price needed for your target return appear straight away.
- Switch to Loss recovery to see how much a stock has to rise to get back to where you bought it.
How the return is worked out
Net profit is sale proceeds โ sell commission โ sell-side tax โ (cost of shares + buy commission), and the return is that profit divided by everything you paid to buy. Buying 100 shares at 50 and selling at 55 is a 10% price move, but with a flat fee of 5 on each trade the net profit is 490.00, a return of 9.79%.
Break-even sell price
Selling at the price you paid still loses the commissions. The break-even price is (cost of shares + buy commission + sell fee) รท (shares ร (1 โ sell commission % โ sell-side tax %)). In the example above it is 50.10 per share.
Losses need bigger gains to recover
A fall and the same percentage rise do not cancel out, because the rise starts from the lower price.
| Loss | Gain needed to break even |
|---|---|
| -10% | +11.1% |
| -20% | +25% |
| -25% | +33.3% |
| -30% | +42.9% |
| -40% | +66.7% |
| -50% | +100% |
| -60% | +150% |
| -75% | +300% |
| -90% | +900% |
If you bought in several lots, work out your average cost first with the Stock Average Price Calculator, and see what a holding pays you with the Dividend Calculator. Taxes on gains depend on where you live and how long you held the shares, so they are not included here.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate my stock return?
Take the sale proceeds, subtract the sell commission and any sell-side tax, then subtract what you paid including the buy commission. Divide that profit by what you paid and multiply by 100.
What is the break-even price?
The sell price at which your profit is exactly zero after all commissions and sell-side taxes. It is slightly above your purchase price.
How much does a stock need to rise after a 50% loss?
100%. After a 50% fall, the stock has to double to get back to its original price. A 20% loss needs a 25% gain and a 30% loss needs about 42.9%.
Does it include capital gains tax?
No. Capital gains tax depends on your country, your income and how long you held the shares, and it is usually worked out on the whole year. Use the sell-side box only for charges taken at the moment of sale.
My broker charges no commission. What do I enter?
Leave both commission boxes and the flat fee at 0. The result is then simply the price change times the number of shares.
Can I share the result?
Copy link to this calculation copies an address with your numbers in it. Whoever opens it sees the same calculation.