How do I calculate percentage return on an investment?

Subtract your starting value from your ending value to get the gain or loss. Then divide that number by your starting value and multiply by 100. The formula is: Percentage Return = ((Ending Value - Starting Value) / Starting Value) × 100. For example, if you invested $1,000 and it grew to $1,250, your return is (250 / 1,000) × 100 = 25%.

What is the difference between simple return and annualized return?

Simple return (also called total return or absolute return) measures the overall percentage gained or lost from start to finish, regardless of how long it took. Annualized return converts that total return into a yearly rate so you can compare investments held for different time periods. For example, a 50% total return over 3 years is roughly a 14.5% annualized return.

What does a negative percentage return mean?

A negative return means your investment lost value. If you put in $500 and it dropped to $400, your return is -20%. This is commonly called a capital loss. The calculation is exactly the same — the result just comes out negative when the ending value is lower than the starting value.

How is ROI different from percentage return?

ROI (Return on Investment) and percentage return are closely related and often used to mean the same thing. Technically, ROI may also subtract additional costs such as fees, taxes, or expenses from the gain before calculating the percentage. Simple percentage return just compares starting and ending values. This calculator lets you include fees for a more realistic result.

Can I use this calculator for stocks, crypto, and real estate?

Yes. This percentage return calculator works for any asset — stocks, bonds, mutual funds, ETFs, cryptocurrency, savings accounts, real estate, and business investments. Just enter the starting value (what you paid or invested) and the ending value (current or selling price). Optionally add dividends or income received and any fees paid.

Percentage Return Calculator – Compute Investment Gain, ROI Percentage, and Annualized Return

Percentage Return Calculator

Enter any starting and ending value to see your exact return percentage, total gain or loss, and annualized rate of return — works for stocks, savings, crypto, real estate, and more.

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Enter Your Values

Starting Value ($)

What you originally paid or invested

Ending Value ($)

Current value or selling price

Currency Symbol

Your Return Breakdown

Enter your starting and ending values on the left and click Calculate to see your return.

Percentage Return

0.00%

simple return

Full Breakdown

Starting Value —

Ending Value —

Net Gain / Loss —

Percentage Return —

Income Received —

Fees / Costs —

Net ROI (after fees) —

Total Return (+ income) —

Annualized Return (CAGR) —

Value Breakdown

Starting Value vs Ending Value

What Is Percentage Return?

Percentage return tells you how much an investment grew or shrank relative to what you originally put in. It is the most common way to compare the performance of different assets — because a $500 gain on a $1,000 investment is very different from a $500 gain on a $50,000 investment.

A positive return means you made money. A negative return means you lost money. Most investors look at percentage return rather than raw dollar amounts when deciding whether an investment performed well.

You can use this calculator for any asset — individual stocks, an entire portfolio, a savings account, a rental property, or even a small business. Just enter the starting and ending values and let the math do the work.

The Return Formula Explained

Three versions of the return formula are used, depending on what you want to measure:

Simple Return = ((Ending − Starting) ÷ Starting) × 100
Total Return = ((Ending − Starting + Income) ÷ Starting) × 100
Net ROI = ((Ending − Starting − Fees) ÷ Starting) × 100
Annualized (CAGR) = (Ending ÷ Starting)^(1 ÷ Years) − 1

Example: You bought shares for $2,000 and sold for $2,600 after receiving $80 in dividends. Simple return = 30%. Total return = 34%. Over 2 years, annualized = 14.9% per year.

Quick Reference – Return % vs Gain

Starting ($)	Ending ($)	Return %	Gain/Loss

Return Types and When to Use Each

Simple Return is best when you want to know the raw percentage gain or loss, without worrying about time or fees. It is the most widely used measure.

Total Return adds income (dividends, interest, rent) to the capital gain. This is the most complete measure of how well an investment actually performed.

Net ROI subtracts all costs — brokerage fees, transaction taxes, and other expenses — to show your real profit after paying to invest.

Annualized Return (CAGR) converts a multi-year return into a yearly rate. It lets you compare a 3-year investment with a 1-year investment on the same scale. CAGR assumes compound growth each year.

Frequently Asked Questions

Subtract your starting value from your ending value to find the gain or loss. Then divide that number by your starting value and multiply by 100 to get the percentage. For example: you paid $500, it is now worth $650. Gain = $150. Return = (150 ÷ 500) × 100 = 30%.

It depends on the asset and the time period. For long-term stock market investments, the S&P 500 has historically averaged around 10% per year before inflation. Savings accounts may offer 4–5% in a high-rate environment. Real estate varies widely by location. A "good" return is one that beats your alternatives after accounting for risk — there is no universal number that works for every situation.

Percentage return and ROI are very similar and often used interchangeably. The main practical difference is that ROI typically accounts for all costs — brokerage fees, taxes, transaction charges — giving you a more accurate picture of what you actually earned. Simple percentage return usually just compares the starting and ending price without subtracting fees.

Use the CAGR formula: divide the ending value by the starting value, raise it to the power of (1 ÷ number of years), then subtract 1 and multiply by 100. For example, $1,000 growing to $1,500 over 4 years: (1500 ÷ 1000)^(1÷4) − 1 = 1.5^0.25 − 1 = about 10.7% per year.

Standard simple return only compares price at purchase and price at sale, so it does not include dividends or other income. To include dividends, you need to use total return, which adds all income received to the price gain before calculating the percentage. Use the Advanced Options in this calculator to add dividends or interest received.

Yes. Enter the purchase price as the starting value and the current market value or selling price as the ending value. For rental property, add any rental income received in the Income field. For a business, enter your initial investment as the starting value and what the business is now worth (or what you sold it for) as the ending value. The formula works the same way for any asset.

Percentage Return by Starting and Ending Value

Quick reference table — gain or loss percentage at a glance for common investment amounts.

Starting ($)	Ending ($)	Gain / Loss	Return %	Result

Formula: Return % = ((Ending − Starting) ÷ Starting) × 100. Currency shown as $.

Annualized Return (CAGR) by Total Return and Years Held

What a given total return translates to as a yearly compounded growth rate.

Total Return	1 Year	2 Years	3 Years	5 Years	10 Years

CAGR = (1 + Total Return)^(1 ÷ Years) − 1. Total Return over 1 year equals the annualized rate.

How Long to Double Your Money at Different Annual Returns

Using the Rule of 72 — divide 72 by the annual return rate to estimate years to double.

Annual Return	Years to Double (approx)	Value of $1,000 after 10 yrs	Value of $10,000 after 10 yrs

Assumes annual compounding. Rule of 72 is an approximation. Actual doubling time = ln(2) ÷ ln(1 + rate).

Typical Return Benchmarks by Asset Class

Historical average annual returns by asset type — for context only, not a guarantee of future results.

Asset Class	Typical Annual Return	Risk Level	Time Horizon	Notes
US Stock Market (S&P 500)	~10% / yr	Medium–High	Long (5–20 yrs)	Historical average before inflation
Global Stock Index	~8–9% / yr	Medium–High	Long	Includes international markets
Real Estate (residential)	~6–8% / yr	Medium	Long	Includes rental income + appreciation
Corporate Bonds	~4–6% / yr	Low–Medium	Medium	Investment-grade bonds
Government Bonds (US)	~2–4% / yr	Low	Short–Medium	Treasury notes and bills
High-Yield Savings Account	~4–5% / yr	Very Low	Short	FDIC insured in the US
Cash / Money Market	~3–5% / yr	Very Low	Short	Near zero risk, low reward
Cryptocurrency (Bitcoin)	Highly variable	Very High	Speculative	Significant volatility — not suitable for all investors
Gold	~5–7% / yr	Low–Medium	Long	Inflation hedge; varies widely year to year
Small Business	Varies widely	Very High	Long	Can be high reward or total loss

Historical averages only. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Consult a financial advisor before investing.

How Fees Reduce Your Actual Return

Even small annual fees have a large impact over time. This table shows net return after a recurring annual fee on a gross return.

Gross Annual Return	After 0.1% Fee	After 0.5% Fee	After 1% Fee	After 2% Fee

Net return = Gross − Annual Fee %. Over 10–30 years, a 1% fee difference can reduce your ending portfolio by 20–30% due to compounding. Always check your fund's expense ratio.