Stock Return Calculator — Absolute & Annualised P&L

Calculating “stock return” sounds simple — until you remember brokerage, dividends, and holding period all change the answer. This calculator does the full reckoning so you know your true profit and your annualised CAGR — what really matters for benchmarking.

Stock Return Calculator

Compute the absolute and annualised return on any single-stock trade — with brokerage and dividends factored in.

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Stock P&L

Net Profit / Loss–
Investment–
Sale Proceeds (net)–
Total Brokerage–
Absolute Return–
Annualised (CAGR)–

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What’s Actually Included in ‘Return’?

Most retail investors look at sell price minus buy price and call it a day. But a 50% gain over 10 years (4.1% CAGR) is awful — barely beating inflation. The same 50% over 2 years (22% CAGR) is excellent. Time matters more than absolute %, and brokerage + taxes can swallow 1–2% of your gains silently.

The Formula

Net P&L = (Sell × Qty − Brokerage) + Dividends − (Buy × Qty)
CAGR = ((Sell × Qty + Dividends − Brokerage) / Investment)1/years − 1

Worked Example

Example: Bought 100 shares at $100 = $10,000 invested. Sold at $160 after 3 years = $16,000. Brokerage 0.5% on both legs = $130. Dividends received = $0. Net profit = $5,870. Absolute return = 58.7%. CAGR ≈ 16.6% per year — a much better gauge than ‘I made 60%’.

Why CAGR Matters More Than Absolute %

  • Compares stocks held for different durations on equal footing.
  • Reveals whether you outperformed your benchmark (S&P 500 ≈ 10% CAGR historically).
  • Forces you to value time as a cost — money locked in a flat stock for 5 years has an opportunity cost.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why include brokerage?▾
Even at 0.1–0.5%, brokerage on both buy and sell legs adds up — especially for active traders. It’s a real reduction in your return.
Should I include taxes?▾
This calculator focuses on pre-tax return. For after-tax, use our Capital Gains Tax Calculator for India-specific LTCG/STCG, or estimate at your marginal rate elsewhere.
Is this for individual stocks only?▾
It works for any single in/single out trade — stocks, ETFs, ADRs. For mutual funds with SIP, use XIRR.
How do I value still-held stocks?▾
Use today’s market price as the ‘Sell Price’ to calculate unrealised return.

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