Stock Return Calculator
Calculate total and annualised return on a share holding including dividends.
Please note: For information only, not investment advice. Share prices can fall as well as rise and past performance does not predict future results.
What the Stock Return Calculator does
Total return combines the change in share price with the dividends paid along the way. Annualising it makes holdings of different lengths comparable, which the raw percentage cannot do.
Formula
Capital return % = (Current − Buy) ÷ Buy × 100Dividend return % = Dividends per share ÷ Buy × 100Total return = Capital return + Dividend returnAnnualised = (Total value ÷ Cost)^(1 ÷ Years) − 1
Inputs explained
| Input | Unit | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Purchase price per share | selected currency | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Current or sale price per share | selected currency | Yes | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Number of shares | number | Yes | Accepts more than 0. |
| Total dividends per share | selected currency | Optional | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Holding period | years | Optional | Accepts 0 or more. |
| Currency | one of 10 options | Optional | — |
How to use it
- Choose Currency.
- Enter Purchase price per share, Current or sale price per share and Number of shares.
- Optionally add Total dividends per share and Holding period.
- Select Calculate.
Worked example
Bought at $80, now $104, $6 of dividends per share, held 3 years.
- Buy
- 80
- Current
- 104
- Dividends
- 6
- Years
- 3
Capital return 30%, dividend return 7.5%, total 37.5%, annualising to about 11.2%.
Frequently asked questions
Why is the annualised return lower than the total return?
Because it spreads the gain across the years and accounts for compounding. A 37.5% gain over three years is roughly 11.2% a year, not 12.5%.