Total Return
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Total Return %
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Annualized Return
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When Should You Use a Stock Return Calculator?
Use this calculator to evaluate the performance of any investment. It is especially useful when:
• You want to see how much money you actually made or lost
• You need to compare returns across investments held for different periods
• You are reviewing your portfolio performance at year end
• You want to know your compound annual growth rate (CAGR)
How It Works
1
Enter Your Investment
Enter the original amount you invested and the current value of your holding.
2
Set Holding Period
Enter how many years you have held the investment. Use decimals for partial years.
3
See Your Returns
Get your total dollar return, percentage gain, and annualized (CAGR) return instantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
Total return is the overall percentage gain or loss on your investment. Annualized return (CAGR) is the average yearly rate of return, which accounts for compounding and lets you compare investments held for different periods of time.
This calculator measures the return based on the values you enter. To include dividends, add any dividends received to your current value before calculating. Otherwise the result reflects price-only return.
The S&P 500 has historically returned about 10% per year before inflation, or roughly 7% after inflation. An annual return above 10% is considered above average, while 15% or more is excellent.
Use the annualized return (CAGR) to compare investments held for different time periods. A 50% total return over 5 years is different from 50% over 2 years, and CAGR normalizes this into a yearly rate for fair comparison.
No, this calculator shows nominal returns. To calculate real (inflation-adjusted) returns, subtract the annual inflation rate from your annualized return. For example, a 10% CAGR minus 3% inflation equals roughly 7% real return.