Stock Return Calculator
Price change alone understates a stock’s return when dividends were paid along the way. Enter buy and sell prices, shares, total dividends per share and fees to get the true profit and total return percentage.
Results
Formula
How to use this calculator
- Enter the buy and sell prices per share and the number of shares.
- Add total dividends received per share over the holding period, and any fees.
- Press Calculate for profit and total return.
Worked example
Bought 100 shares at $50, sold at $65, received $2 per share in dividends, no fees.
- Invested: $5,000.
- Proceeds: 6,500 + 200 = $6,700.
- Profit: $1,700 → return 34%.
Result: A 34% total return — versus 30% from price alone. The dividends added 4 points.
Frequently asked questions
Why include dividends in return?
Because they are real cash the investment produced. Ignoring them understates the performance of dividend payers and makes comparisons with growth stocks unfair.
Is this an annualized return?
No — it is the total return over the whole holding period. To annualize, you would convert with the holding time: (1 + total return)^(1/years) − 1.
Are taxes included?
No. Capital-gains and dividend taxes depend on your bracket, account type and holding period, so they are deliberately excluded rather than guessed.
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