📋 Stock Return Calculator
Calculate total stock return with dividends, multi-lot trades, CAGR, tax impact, and benchmark comparison.
📥 Buys
30 shares bought
📤 Sells
30 shares sold
Short <1yr, Long ≥1yr. Rates vary by country (US 15-20%, Germany 26%, Singapore 0%)
Total Return
50.00%
$1,150.00
Return Breakdown
Tax Estimate
📋 Matched Trades (FIFO)
| Buy | Sell | Shares | Gain | Hold |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021-06-15 @$60.00 | 2024-06-15 @$85.00 | 10 | $250.00 | 1096d L |
| 2022-01-15 @$70.00 | 2024-12-01 @$120.00 | 10 | $500.00 | 1051d L |
| 2023-06-01 @$100.00 | 2024-12-01 @$120.00 | 10 | $200.00 | 549d L |
How Stock Return Works
Core Formula
Total Return = (Sell Proceeds - Buy Cost + Dividends) / Buy Cost CAGR = (Final Value / Initial Value)^(1/Years) - 1 Cost Basis = Total Buy Cost / Total Shares
Tax Calculation
Short-Term (<1yr): Taxed as ordinary income (up to 37%) Long-Term (>1yr): Taxed at 0-20% depending on income
❓ FAQ
How is stock total return calculated?＋
Total return = (Sale proceeds + dividends - purchase cost - commissions) / purchase cost × 100%. This includes both price appreciation and dividend income.
What's the difference between total return and CAGR?＋
Total return is the absolute percentage gain. CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) annualizes it, showing the average yearly return accounting for compounding.
How are stock trading taxes calculated?＋
Stocks held <1 year: short-term capital gains taxed as ordinary income (10-37%). Held >1 year: long-term gains taxed at 0-20%. Use our calculator to compare both.
What cost basis method should I use?＋
FIFO sells oldest shares first (most common). LIFO sells newest first (tax advantage in rising markets). Average cost smooths everything. Each affects your tax bill differently.
Should I use a stop-loss?＋
Stop-loss limits downside but can trigger on temporary dips. A 10% stop-loss protects capital but may cause you to miss the rebound. Simulate in our calculator.
Is dollar cost averaging better than lump sum?＋
DCA reduces timing risk and emotional stress. Lump sum historically outperforms ~67% of the time but has higher volatility. Use our comparison tool.
How do dividends affect stock returns?＋
Dividends contribute significantly to long-term returns. Since 1930, reinvested dividends account for ~40% of the S&P 500's total return.
How do I compare my returns to a benchmark?＋
Compare your CAGR to the S&P 500 over the same period. If the S&P returned 10% and you returned 8%, you underperformed by 2%. Our calculator does this automatically.