Skip to content

Stock Profit Calculator

FinanceStocks and Dividends
Trade
Brokerage fees
Profit or loss —
Outcome
—
Return on cost basis
—
Cost basis
—
Net sale proceeds
—
Break-even sale price per share
—

Stock profit is net sale proceeds minus cost basis. Cost basis is shares times purchase price plus the buying commission; proceeds are shares times sale price minus the selling commission. Buying 50 shares at $20 and selling at $26 with $5 fees each way gives $1,295 − $1,005 = $290, a 28.86% return.

About this tool

Traders checking a closed position, and investors deciding whether a target price is worth waiting for, both need the same figure: what the trade made after costs. Enter the share count, the price paid and the price received, plus any commission on each side. The calculator returns the dollar gain or loss, the return as a percentage of the cost basis, the basis itself, net proceeds and the sale price at which the position would exactly break even once both fees are paid. The working is listed line by line. It treats one purchase lot and one sale; dividends received, tax owed, currency conversion and holding period are outside its arithmetic, so the result is a pre-tax trading figure rather than an annualised performance measure.

How to use it

  1. Enter the trade

    Type the number of shares, the purchase price and the sale price per share.

  2. Add brokerage fees

    Put the commission charged on the buy and on the sell; leave them at 0 for commission-free trades.

  3. Read the outcome

    Profit or loss, return on basis, proceeds and break-even price update as you type.

Examples

100 shares, $10 to $15

Number of shares
100
Purchase price per share
10
Sale price per share
15
Commission when buying
0
Commission when selling
0

Result Profit or loss: $500.00
Outcome: Gain
Return on cost basis: 50%
Cost basis: $1,000.00
Net sale proceeds: $1,500.00
Break-even sale price per share: $10.0000

  1. Cost basis = 100 × $10.00 + $0.00 = $1,000.00
  2. Net proceeds = 100 × $15.00 − $0.00 = $1,500.00
  3. Profit = $1,500.00 − $1,000.00 = $500.00
  4. Return = $500.00 ÷ $1,000.00 × 100 = 50%
  5. Break-even sale price = ($1,000.00 + $0.00) ÷ 100 = $10.00

With no commissions the basis is $1,000 and the sale brings $1,500, a gain of $500 or 50% on the money put in.

50 shares, $20 to $26, $5 fees each way

Number of shares
50
Purchase price per share
20
Sale price per share
26
Commission when buying
5
Commission when selling
5

Result Profit or loss: $290.00
Outcome: Gain
Return on cost basis: 28.86%
Cost basis: $1,005.00
Net sale proceeds: $1,295.00
Break-even sale price per share: $20.2000

  1. Cost basis = 50 × $20.00 + $5.00 = $1,005.00
  2. Net proceeds = 50 × $26.00 − $5.00 = $1,295.00
  3. Profit = $1,295.00 − $1,005.00 = $290.00
  4. Return = $290.00 ÷ $1,005.00 × 100 = 28.86%
  5. Break-even sale price = ($1,005.00 + $5.00) ÷ 50 = $20.20

The $5 buying fee lifts the basis to $1,005 and the $5 selling fee trims proceeds to $1,295, leaving $290 rather than $300.

10 shares, $100 down to $80

Number of shares
10
Purchase price per share
100
Sale price per share
80
Commission when buying
0
Commission when selling
0

Result Profit or loss: -$200.00
Outcome: Loss
Return on cost basis: -20%
Cost basis: $1,000.00
Net sale proceeds: $800.00
Break-even sale price per share: $100.0000

  1. Cost basis = 10 × $100.00 + $0.00 = $1,000.00
  2. Net proceeds = 10 × $80.00 − $0.00 = $800.00
  3. Profit = $800.00 − $1,000.00 = -$200.00
  4. Return = -$200.00 ÷ $1,000.00 × 100 = -20%
  5. Break-even sale price = ($1,000.00 + $0.00) ÷ 10 = $100.00

A $20 drop on each of 10 shares is a $200 loss, 20% of the $1,000 basis.

How it is calculated

Profit = (N × Ps − Fs) − (N × Pb + Fb); Return = Profit ÷ (N × Pb + Fb) × 100

N
number of shares bought and sold
Pb
purchase price per share
Ps
sale price per share
Fb
commission paid when buying, added to basis
Fs
commission paid when selling, deducted from proceeds

This follows the tax definition of a capital gain: the amount realized minus the adjusted basis. Purchase costs such as commissions raise the basis, and selling costs reduce the amount realized. The break-even price is the basis plus the selling fee, divided by the share count — the lowest sale price that returns every dollar spent.

Sources

When not to use it

  • Positions built from several buys at different prices need an average cost first.
  • Annual or time-weighted performance needs the holding period, which this figure ignores.
  • After-tax profit depends on your tax rate and holding period, which are not modelled here.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting the selling commission, which makes the break-even price look lower than it is.
  • Measuring return against sale proceeds instead of the cost basis.
  • Entering the total purchase amount in the per-share price field.

Frequently asked questions

Why is the return measured against cost basis?

Return answers how much the money you committed grew or shrank. The basis — shares times purchase price plus the buying fee — is that committed amount, so a $290 gain on a $1,005 basis is 28.86%.

Do commissions really change the result much?

On small trades they can. A $10 round trip on a $500 position is 2% of the money invested, so the share price has to rise 2% before the trade breaks even. On commission-free brokers both fee fields stay at zero.

How is the break-even price worked out?

It is the cost basis plus the selling commission, divided by the number of shares. Selling at that price returns exactly what was spent, including fees on both sides, so profit is zero.

Are dividends included in the profit?

No. The figure covers price change and commissions only. Add any cash dividends received during the holding period yourself to see the total return of the position.

Is this the taxable gain?

It follows the same arithmetic as the IRS definition — amount realized minus adjusted basis — for a single lot. Wash-sale adjustments, stock splits, reinvested dividends and the short or long-term holding period can all change what is reported, so broker statements remain the record.

Can I check a target price before selling?

Yes. Enter the price you are considering as the sale price; the profit and return show what that exit would produce after the selling fee.

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 Profit Calculator. Tools Directory. Retrieved October 27, 2026, from https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-profit-calculator/

MLA

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Stock Profit Calculator.” Tools Directory, 26 Oct. 2026, https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-profit-calculator/. Accessed 27 Oct. 2026.

Chicago

Tools Directory Editorial Team. “Stock Profit Calculator.” Tools Directory. Last modified October 26, 2026. Accessed October 27, 2026. https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-profit-calculator/.

Link<a href="https://tools.milunir.com/finance/stocks-and-dividends/stock-profit-calculator/">Stock Profit Calculator – Tools Directory</a>