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Stock Loss Calculator

FinanceStocks and Dividends
The trade
Brokerage fees
Net loss —
Result
—
Loss as a share of cost
—
Total cost with fees
—
Sale proceeds after fees
—
Loss per share
—
Break-even sell price
—
Rise needed to break even
—

A stock loss is the total paid for the shares, commissions included, minus what the sale returns after its commission. Buying 100 shares at $50 and selling at $25 loses $2,500, which is 50% of the $5,000 cost. To get back to $50 from $25, the price has to rise 100%, not 50%.

About this tool

Investors sitting on a red position usually want three numbers: how much money is gone, what share of the original stake that is, and how far the price must climb before the trade is level again. This calculator takes the buy price, the current or sale price, the share count and the commission on each side, then reports the net loss in dollars, the loss as a percentage of total cost, the loss per share, the break-even sale price and the rise needed to reach it. The working is listed line by line. It treats one purchase lot at one price; for several buys at different prices, average the cost first. It does not estimate taxes, dividends received or currency effects, and a loss on paper is only realised for tax purposes once the shares are sold.

How to use it

  1. Enter the trade

    Type the price paid per share, the price you sold at or the price today, and how many shares you hold.

  2. Add commissions

    Put the broker charge for the purchase and for the sale in the fee boxes; leave them at 0 for commission-free brokers.

  3. Read the break-even

    The break-even sell price and the rise needed show how far the stock must recover to cover both price and fees.

Examples

100 shares, $50 down to $25

Buy price per share
50
Sell or current price per share
25
Number of shares
100
Commission when buying
0
Commission when selling
0

Result Net loss: $2,500.00
Result: Loss
Loss as a share of cost: 50%
Total cost with fees: $5,000.00
Sale proceeds after fees: $2,500.00
Loss per share: $25.0000
Break-even sell price: $50.0000
Rise needed to break even: 100%

  1. Total cost = 50 × 100 + 0 fee = $5,000.00
  2. Sale proceeds = 25 × 100 − 0 fee = $2,500.00
  3. Net loss = $5,000.00 − $2,500.00 = $2,500.00
  4. Loss % = $2,500.00 ÷ $5,000.00 × 100 = 50%
  5. Break-even price = ($5,000.00 + 0 sell fee) ÷ 100 = $50.00
  6. Gain needed = 50 ÷ 25 − 1 = 100%

Halving the price loses half the money, yet the stock then has to double just to get back to the purchase cost.

200 shares, $40 to $34, $5 fees each way

Buy price per share
40
Sell or current price per share
34
Number of shares
200
Commission when buying
5
Commission when selling
5

Result Net loss: $1,210.00
Result: Loss
Loss as a share of cost: 15.12%
Total cost with fees: $8,005.00
Sale proceeds after fees: $6,795.00
Loss per share: $6.0500
Break-even sell price: $40.0500
Rise needed to break even: 17.79%

  1. Total cost = 40 × 200 + 5 fee = $8,005.00
  2. Sale proceeds = 34 × 200 − 5 fee = $6,795.00
  3. Net loss = $8,005.00 − $6,795.00 = $1,210.00
  4. Loss % = $1,210.00 ÷ $8,005.00 × 100 = 15.12%
  5. Break-even price = ($8,005.00 + 5 sell fee) ÷ 200 = $40.05
  6. Gain needed = 40.05 ÷ 34 − 1 = 17.79%

The two $5 commissions add $10 to a $1,200 price loss, and lift the break-even sale price to $40.05 a share.

How it is calculated

Loss = (P_buy × N + F_buy) − (P_sell × N − F_sell); Loss % = Loss ÷ (P_buy × N + F_buy) × 100; Break-even = (P_buy × N + F_buy + F_sell) ÷ N

P_buy
price paid per share
P_sell
sale price or current market price per share
N
number of shares
F_buy, F_sell
commissions charged on the purchase and on the sale

Cost basis includes the purchase commission, and the selling commission is taken off the proceeds, which matches how the IRS describes basis and amount realised. The loss percentage is measured against the full cost. The rise needed to recover is the break-even price divided by the current price, minus one, so it is always larger than the percentage lost: a 20% fall needs a 25% rise, and a 50% fall needs 100%.

Sources

When not to use it

  • Positions built from several purchases at different prices need an average cost first.
  • Short sales lose money when the price rises, which this long-only layout does not model.
  • Options, futures and leveraged ETFs have payoffs that a simple price difference misses.
  • It is not a tax return figure; wash-sale rules can disallow a loss.

Common mistakes

  • Assuming a 50% drop is undone by a 50% rise, when it takes 100%.
  • Leaving commissions out, which understates the loss and the break-even price.
  • Counting dividends already received as part of the price loss instead of separately.
  • Comparing the sale price with the latest purchase lot rather than the actual cost basis.

Frequently asked questions

Why does recovering a loss take a bigger percentage gain?

The rise is measured from a smaller starting value. After $50 falls to $25, a 50% rise only brings it to $37.50. Reaching $50 again needs a 100% rise. A 10% fall needs about 11.1%, a 30% fall about 42.9%, and a 75% fall needs 300%.

Is a loss real if I have not sold?

Until the shares are sold the loss is unrealised: the figure moves with the price and has no tax effect. Entering today's price in the sell box shows the paper loss at that moment. It becomes a realised capital loss on the trade date of the sale.

How do commissions change the result?

The buying commission is added to the cost basis and the selling commission is subtracted from the proceeds, so both increase the loss. With 200 shares bought at $40 and sold at $34, $5 each way turns a $1,200 price loss into $1,210 and moves break-even from $40.00 to $40.05.

Can a stock loss reduce my taxes in the US?

Under IRS Topic 409, capital losses first offset capital gains. If losses exceed gains, up to $3,000 a year ($1,500 if married filing separately) can be deducted against other income, and the rest carries forward to later years. Selling and rebuying the same stock within 30 days can trigger the wash-sale rule.

What if the price went up instead?

The net loss then shows as a negative number, the result line reads Gain, and a note states the gain in dollars. The rise needed to break even is reported as 0% because the trade is already above cost.

How do I handle shares bought at different prices?

Add up what each purchase cost, including its commission, and divide by the total number of shares. Enter that average as the buy price, leave the buying commission at 0 since it is already included, and use the total share count.

Cite this tool

Using this tool in an assignment, article or report? Copy a citation, or a link for your website.

APA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. (2026, October 26). Stock Loss Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 26, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-loss-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Stock Loss Calculator.” Tools Directory, 26 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-loss-calculator/. Accessed 26 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Stock Loss Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 26, 2026. Accessed October 26, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-loss-calculator/.

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