Stock Profit Calculator
This stock profit calculator works out your total return on a stock trade, from the moment you buy shares to the moment you sell them. It accounts for commissions on both the buy and sell side, any other trading fees, dividend income you collected while holding the position, and the taxes that apply to dividends and capital gains. The output is a full breakdown: your initial investment, gross sale value, gross profit or loss, total fees, dividend income and taxes, net profit or loss, return on investment (ROI), and the break-even sell price you would have needed to avoid a loss.
How to Use the Stock Profit Calculator
- Choose your currency from the dropdown.
- Enter the price you paid per share and the price you sold (or plan to sell) per share.
- Enter the number of shares in the trade.
- Optionally add your buy commission, sell commission, and any other fees.
- Optionally add a dividend per share, along with a dividend tax rate and capital gains tax rate if they apply to you.
- Select Calculate profit, or press Enter, to see your full results.
How Stock Profit Is Calculated
The calculation happens in a few stages. First, your purchase cost combines the share price and quantity with any commission paid to buy in. Second, your selling value is the price you sold at multiplied by your share count. Third, any fees — sell commission and other charges — are subtracted from that selling value. Fourth, dividends received during the holding period are added as income, minus any dividend tax owed. Fifth, capital gains tax is applied only to a positive gain, never to a loss. The result of combining all of these is your net profit or loss and, from there, your ROI.
Stock Profit Formula
Example of a Stock Profit Calculation
Suppose you buy 100 shares at $50.00 ($5,000 initial investment, no buy commission), then sell them at $60.00 ($6,000 gross sale value), paying a $10 sell commission and $40 in other fees. Along the way you collected $1.00 per share in dividends ($100 dividend income), taxed at 15% ($15 dividend tax), with a 15% capital gains tax on the gain.
Gross profit is $6,000 − $5,000 − $10 − $40 = $950. Capital gains tax is $950 × 15% = $142.50. Net profit is $950 + $100 − $15 − $142.50 = $892.50, for an ROI of roughly 17.85%.
What Is ROI?
ROI, or return on investment, tells you how big your profit or loss was relative to the money you originally put in — not just the dollar amount. A $900 profit means very different things on a $1,000 investment versus a $50,000 investment, and ROI is what makes those two trades comparable. It's calculated as net profit divided by initial investment, expressed as a percentage.
What Is the Break-Even Stock Price?
The break-even price is the exact sell price per share where your net result is zero — every dollar of costs, fees and taxes has been recovered, but no profit has been made yet. It's a useful number to know before you sell, because it tells you the minimum price you need in order to avoid a loss on the position, after accounting for commissions, fees, dividends already received, and taxes.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a stock profit calculator?
A stock profit calculator is a tool that works out how much money you made or lost on a stock trade. You enter your buy price, sell price, number of shares, and any fees, dividends or taxes, and it returns your net profit or loss, ROI, and break-even price.
How do I calculate profit on a stock?
Subtract your total buying cost (share price times quantity, plus any buy commission) from your total selling value (sell price times quantity, minus any sell commission and other fees). Add dividend income and subtract taxes to get your net profit.
How is stock ROI calculated?
ROI is your net profit divided by your initial investment, shown as a percentage. A positive ROI means a gain, and a negative ROI means a loss relative to what you put in.
Does the calculator include commissions?
Yes. You can enter a separate buy commission and sell commission, along with any other trading fees, and they are factored into your final profit or loss.
Can I calculate stock losses?
Yes. If your total costs are higher than your total returns, the calculator clearly shows a net loss figure and a negative ROI percentage instead of a profit.
What is the break-even stock price?
The break-even price is the sell price per share at which you neither gain nor lose money once fees, dividends and taxes are accounted for. Selling above this price produces a profit, and selling below it produces a loss.
Can I include dividends?
Yes. You can enter a dividend amount per share, and it is added to your total return. You can also enter a dividend tax rate if applicable in your situation.
Does this calculator include taxes?
You can optionally enter a capital gains tax rate and a dividend tax rate, and the calculator subtracts the resulting amounts from your gross profit to show a net, after-tax figure.
Can I use the calculator for multiple shares?
Yes. Enter the total number of shares you bought and sold, and all totals, profit figures and ROI are calculated for the full position, not just a single share.
Is stock profit guaranteed?
No. This tool only performs a mathematical calculation based on the numbers you enter. It does not predict prices, guarantee returns, or provide financial advice.
This calculator is an educational tool only and does not constitute financial, investment or tax advice. All figures are based solely on the values you enter, not on real market or live stock data. Past or hypothetical results are not a guarantee of future performance — always consult a licensed financial or tax professional before making investment decisions.