Calculate your stock profit or loss, ROI, and break-even price in seconds. Enter your shares, buying price, selling price, and commissions — we handle the rest.
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Get your stock profit, loss, ROI, and break-even price in four simple steps — no sign-up required.
Enter the number of shares you own or plan to buy, along with the buying price per share and any buying commission charged by your broker.
Enter the selling price per share and any selling commission. The calculator instantly computes your net buying cost and net selling proceeds.
Check the capital gains tax option and enter your tax rate to see your true after-tax profit. Leave it unchecked for a pre-tax view.
Instantly see your net profit or loss, ROI percentage, and break-even price — all updated in real time as you type.
Your net buying cost is the total amount you spend acquiring shares — the share price multiplied by the number of shares, plus any buying commission. Your net selling proceeds are what you actually receive after the sale, equal to the selling price multiplied by shares, minus the selling commission. These two figures form the foundation of all stock profit calculations.
Suppose you buy 100 shares at $250 per share with a $10 buying commission, then sell at $285 with a $10 selling commission. Here is exactly how every figure is calculated:
Even small brokerage commissions can meaningfully affect your returns, especially on smaller trades. For example, a $10 buying commission and $10 selling commission on a 100-share position adds $0.20 per share to your cost basis. Our calculator automatically factors both trading fees into every result, so you always see your real profit — not just the paper gain.
In the United States, stock profits are subject to capital gains tax. Short-term gains (assets held under one year) are taxed as ordinary income, while long-term gains (over one year) are taxed at preferential rates of 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your income bracket. Toggle the tax option in the calculator to see your after-tax profit alongside the pre-tax figure.
The absolute dollar gain or loss on your trade, calculated as net selling proceeds minus net buying cost. A positive number means a profit; a negative number means a loss.
ROI expresses your profit as a percentage of your total investment. It lets you compare the efficiency of different trades regardless of position size — a 20% ROI on any trade is directly comparable to another 20% ROI. This is the most useful number for benchmarking your trading performance against the market.
The minimum price per share you need to sell at to cover your total buying cost (including commission) and avoid a loss. Knowing your break-even price helps you set realistic profit targets and stop-loss levels before you enter a trade.
When you enable the tax option, the calculator deducts the applicable capital gains tax from your gross profit to show the actual amount you keep after tax obligations are met. Use this figure — not your gross profit — when comparing whether an investment meets your real return goals.
This stock calculator is provided for educational and informational purposes only. Results are estimates based on the data you enter and do not constitute financial advice. Stock investments carry the risk of loss, and past performance does not guarantee future results. Please consult a licensed financial advisor before making investment decisions.
Four real-world trading scenarios showing exactly how to apply this stock profit calculator and what each result means for your investment decisions.
You're considering buying 200 shares of an S&P 500 ETF at $480 through a commission-free broker, targeting a sell at $510. Enter: 200 shares, $480.00 buying price, $0 commission, $510.00 selling price, $0 commission.
Before placing a single order, you know your exact projected profit, ROI percentage return, and the minimum price needed to break even.
You bought 100 shares at $195 through a broker charging $9.99 commission each way, then sold at $215. Trading commission fees erode more of your gain than you might expect at first glance.
The $19.98 in total commissions raised your break-even price by $0.10 per share — a detail easy to miss without calculating your net profit after fees.
You held 50 shares for 18 months, buying at $320 and selling at $395 (no commissions). Enable the tax option and enter 15% — the 2026 long-term capital gains rate for most middle-income investors.
Knowing your after-tax return upfront lets you decide whether the trade meets your real return goal — not just the pre-tax figure on your brokerage statement.
You bought 300 shares at $75 and sold at $58 after 8 months. Plug the numbers in to quantify the loss before you decide whether to harvest it against other capital gains.
A $5,100 realized loss can offset other capital gains dollar-for-dollar, potentially saving $765 in taxes at a 15% rate. Important: the IRS wash sale rule disallows the loss if you repurchase substantially identical shares within 30 days before or after the sale.
The single biggest tax variable in stock investing is not your broker's commission — it is how long you hold your shares before selling.
If you sell shares within 365 days of buying them, your profit is a short-term capital gain. The IRS taxes this as ordinary income — the same rate that applies to your wages. Depending on your taxable income in 2026, your marginal tax rate could be:
Hold your shares for at least 366 days before selling, and your profit qualifies for the preferential long-term capital gains rate. In 2026, these rates are significantly lower than ordinary income tax rates:
Assume you earn a $5,000 investment gain and you are in the 22% ordinary income bracket. The only variable between these two outcomes is when you chose to sell:
| Holding Period | Tax Rate | Tax Owed | You Keep |
|---|---|---|---|
| 8 months (short-term) | 22% | $1,100 | $3,900 |
| 14 months (long-term) | 15% | $750 | $4,250 |
By waiting 6 more months, you keep an extra $350 from the same $5,000 gain — with no additional risk taken. Use the calculator's tax rate field to model both scenarios before you sell.
Federal long-term rates don't tell the whole story if you live in a high-tax state. Your effective capital gains tax rate includes both federal and state obligations.
Enter your combined federal + state rate in the calculator's tax rate field for a fully accurate after-tax return estimate.
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Common questions about calculating stock profit, loss, ROI, and break-even price — answered clearly.
Stock profit (or loss) is calculated by subtracting your net buying cost from your net selling proceeds. Net buying cost equals (buying price × number of shares) + buying commission. Net selling proceeds equal (selling price × number of shares) − selling commission. If the result is positive, you made a profit; if negative, you incurred a loss. Our stock calculator does this instantly once you enter your figures.
ROI (Return on Investment) measures how much profit you made relative to the amount you invested, expressed as a percentage. The formula is: ROI = (Net Profit ÷ Net Buying Cost) × 100. For example, if you invested $15,010 (including commission) and received $17,490 after selling, your profit is $2,480 and your ROI is approximately 16.52%. ROI lets you compare the performance of different trades on an equal footing, regardless of the number of shares or dollar amounts involved.
Your break-even price is the minimum price per share you need to sell at in order to neither profit nor lose money on a trade — after accounting for buying commission. It is calculated as: Break-even Price = Net Buying Cost ÷ Number of Shares. For example, if you bought 100 shares at $150 with a $10 commission, your net buying cost is $15,010 and your break-even price is $150.10 per share. Any selling price above this threshold results in a profit.
Brokerage commissions are fees charged by your broker each time you buy or sell shares. The buying commission is added to your cost basis, raising your break-even price. The selling commission is deducted from your proceeds, reducing your net profit. Even a small commission can meaningfully affect your ROI on low-margin trades. For example, two $10 commissions on a $1,500 trade reduce your proceeds by 1.3% before the stock price moves at all. Always factor commissions into your calculation — our stock calculator does this automatically.
Capital gains tax is applied to the profit you make from selling shares. The rate depends on your holding period and income level. In the US, short-term capital gains (shares held for one year or less) are taxed as ordinary income, which can be as high as 37%. Long-term capital gains (shares held for more than one year) are taxed at preferential rates of 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on your taxable income. Our stock calculator lets you enter any custom tax rate to calculate your exact after-tax profit.
Profit is an absolute dollar amount — how much money you made or lost. ROI is a relative percentage — how much you made compared to what you invested. For example, a $500 profit on a $2,500 investment is a 20% ROI, while the same $500 profit on a $50,000 investment is only a 1% ROI. Profit tells you the size of your gain; ROI tells you the efficiency of your investment. Both numbers are essential for evaluating a trade properly.
Absolutely. The stock calculator works just as well for planning future trades as it does for evaluating past ones. Enter your intended buying price, your target selling price, the number of shares you plan to trade, and your expected commissions. The calculator will show you the projected profit, ROI, and break-even price before you place a single order — helping you decide whether a trade is worth making at your target price levels.
Yes. The calculator works for any security with a buying price and a selling price — including ETFs (Exchange-Traded Funds), mutual funds, REITs, and index funds. For ETFs and mutual funds, use the NAV (Net Asset Value) or share price as your buying and selling price. Keep in mind that mutual funds may also carry expense ratios and load fees that reduce returns beyond trading commissions, so factor those in manually if relevant.
The primary factors are your buying price, selling price, number of shares, and the commissions on each side of the trade. Beyond the trade itself, stock performance is influenced by company earnings, interest rate changes, macroeconomic conditions, market sentiment, geopolitical events, and sector trends. While our calculator accurately computes profit based on prices and fees you provide, it cannot predict future price movements — use it alongside fundamental and technical analysis for better decision-making.
Yes, LiteCalc's stock calculator is completely free to use — no account, no subscription, and no personal information required. Simply enter your trade details and get instant results. You can run as many calculations as you need for different stocks, position sizes, and tax scenarios without any limitations.