Calculate the gain or loss on an investment and the return on investment as a percentage of what you put in.
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1,000 that becomes 1,200 has a gain of 200 and an ROI of 20%. A 5,000 project returning 5,600 has an ROI of 12%, while 1,000 that falls to 800 shows a loss of 200 and an ROI of −20%.
ROI is (final value − initial investment) ÷ initial investment × 100, and the gain or loss is simply the difference between the two amounts. The initial investment must be greater than zero, because a percentage cannot divide by zero. The final value may be anything, including 0.
Include everything you actually spent in the initial amount, such as purchase fees or setup costs, and everything you actually received in the final value, such as dividends or sale proceeds after commission. ROI ignores risk, inflation, taxes and money added or withdrawn during the period.
Enter the amount invested and the value at the end. ROI is (final − initial) ÷ initial × 100, so 1,000 that becomes 1,200 has a gain of 200 and an ROI of 20%. A 5,000 project that returns 5,600 has an ROI of 12%. Include everything you actually spent in the initial amount, such as purchase fees or setup costs, and everything you actually received in the final value, such as dividends or sale proceeds after commission.
A fall from 1,000 to 800 is an ROI of −20%, but climbing back from 800 to 1,000 is +25%, because the second change is measured from a smaller starting amount. Doubling from 1,000 to 2,000 is +100%, while losing the whole 1,000 is −100%, the lowest possible ROI for an investment that cannot go below zero. Keep this asymmetry in mind when comparing a loss with the gain needed to recover it.
A 20% ROI earned in one year and the same 20% earned over three years look identical here. Spread over three years, 20% is only about 6.27% per year when compounded. When comparing investments that last different lengths of time, convert the result to an annual rate or use the Compound Interest Calculator. ROI also leaves out risk, inflation, taxes and money added or withdrawn during the period, so treat it as a quick summary rather than a full performance measure.
| Input | Result |
|---|---|
1,000 → 1,200 | 20% (200) |
1,000 → 800 | -20% (-200) |
800 → 1,000 | 25% (200) |
5,000 → 5,600 | 12% (600) |
1,000 → 2,000 | 100% (1,000) |
1,000 → 0 | -100% (-1,000) |
Because each change is measured from its own starting amount. Falling from 1,000 to 800 is −20%, but climbing back from 800 to 1,000 is +25%. Doubling from 1,000 to 2,000 is +100%, while losing everything is −100%, the lowest possible ROI for an investment that cannot go below zero.
No. A 20% ROI earned in one year and the same 20% earned over three years look identical here. Spread over three years, 20% is only about 6.27% a year when compounded, so convert to an annual rate or use the Compound Interest Calculator when the periods differ.
Everything you would actually walk away with: sale proceeds after fees, plus any income received along the way, such as dividends, rent or interest. If you are still holding the investment, use its current market value and treat the result as a snapshot rather than a realised return.