Stock Profit Calculator
Find profit and return on a stock trade.
Results update as you type.
How it works
Working out the real profit on a stock trade means accounting for both the price change and the commissions, and this calculator does both. You enter the buy price, the sell price, the number of shares, and any buy and sell commissions, and it returns your net profit and your return on investment as a percentage. The profit is the money you receive when selling, the sell price times shares minus the sell fee, less the money you spent buying, the buy price times shares plus the buy fee. Ignoring fees overstates your gains, especially on frequent trades or small positions where commissions eat into returns, so including them gives a truer picture. The return on investment expresses that profit relative to your total cost, letting you compare trades of different sizes on an equal footing: a $500 profit on a $1,000 investment is a 50 percent return, far better than the same $500 on a $50,000 position. A negative result means the trade lost money after costs. This calculator helps investors evaluate closed trades, plan target prices, and understand how fees affect outcomes. It does not account for taxes on capital gains or dividends received, which further affect your actual take-home return. Enter your prices, shares, and fees to compute your stock profit and ROI.
Profit = (sell × shares − sell fee) − (buy × shares + buy fee)
The net profit is the sale proceeds minus the total cost. Proceeds are the sell price times the number of shares, less any sell commission. Cost is the buy price times the shares, plus any buy commission. The return on investment divides that profit by the total cost and multiplies by 100.
Source:Investment analysis
We review all our tools from time to time to ensure accuracy.
Worked example
How to use this calculator
- 1
Enter your values
Enter buy price per share, sell price per share and number of shares.
- 2
Adjust the options
Adjust buy commission and sell commission if they apply — sensible defaults are already set.
- 3
Read your result
Net profit updates instantly as you type — no button to press.
Frequently asked questions
How do you calculate profit on a stock?
Subtract your total cost from your sale proceeds. Proceeds are the sell price times the number of shares minus the sell commission, and cost is the buy price times shares plus the buy commission. The difference is your net profit. The calculator also expresses it as a return on investment percentage.
Why include commissions and fees?
Trading fees reduce your actual profit, sometimes significantly on small or frequent trades. A gain that looks positive before fees can shrink or turn negative after them. Including buy and sell commissions gives a realistic profit figure, which is why the calculator lets you enter both fees to reflect what you truly keep.
What is return on investment for a stock?
Return on investment, or ROI, is your profit divided by your total cost, expressed as a percentage. It lets you compare trades of different sizes fairly: a $500 profit is a 50 percent return on a $1,000 investment but only 1 percent on $50,000. ROI measures efficiency, not just the dollar amount.
Does this include taxes?
No, this calculator shows profit before taxes. Capital gains on stocks are typically taxed, with rates depending on how long you held the shares and your jurisdiction, and dividends may be taxed too. Your after-tax return will be lower than the pre-tax profit shown here, so factor taxes in separately.
What if the result is negative?
A negative profit means the trade lost money once the sell price and fees are accounted for, either because the stock fell or because commissions exceeded a small gain. The ROI will also be negative, showing the percentage loss on your invested capital. It is a normal outcome to track when reviewing trades.