Stock Profit Calculator
Selling stock and want to know what you'll actually pocket? This calculator shows you the real number — not just the simple math, but your true profit after commissions eat their share on both ends of the trade.
Plug in what you paid, what you're selling for, and any fees. You'll instantly see your profit, your ROI percentage, and something most calculators skip: your break-even price. That last one matters more than most people realize, especially if you're sitting on a losing position wondering how much further it needs to climb.
How to Use This Calculator
1. Start with your shares. How many did you buy? (Or how many are you thinking about selling?)
2. Enter what you paid. Price per share, plus your buying commission if there was one. Most brokers are $0 now, so if that's you, just leave it blank.
3. Enter your selling price. This can be today's market price or a target you're considering.
4. Check your results. You'll see:
- Net buying price — what you actually spent, commissions included
- Net selling price — what you'll actually receive
- Profit — the cash difference (positive = you made money)
- ROI — your percentage return
- Break-even price — the minimum you'd need to sell at to not lose money
Understanding Your Results
Profit
This one's straightforward: it's how much more (or less) you're walking away with compared to what you put in. Commissions on both sides are already baked in.
Green number? You made money. Red number? You didn't.
Return on Investment (ROI)
Here's where it gets interesting. ROI tells you how hard your money worked — and it's the only way to compare different trades fairly.
Making $500 feels great. But $500 profit on a $1,000 investment (50% ROI) is wildly different from $500 on $50,000 (1% ROI). Same dollars, completely different story.
The math: ROI = (Profit ÷ What You Spent) × 100
Break-Even Price
This is the number that answers: "What does this stock need to hit for me to just get my money back?"
Not make a profit. Not win. Just... not lose.
Your break-even is always a bit higher than what you paid per share, because transaction costs add up. With $0 commission brokers it's nearly identical to your purchase price, but if you're paying fees, the gap can surprise you.
The Formula (With a Real Example)
Net Buying Price = (Price × Shares) + Buy Commission Net Selling Price = (Price × Shares) − Sell Commission Profit = Net Selling Price − Net Buying Price
Let's run actual numbers.
You bought 50 shares of a stock at $45. Your broker charges 0.5% on trades. Now it's at $62 and you want to sell.
Buying side:
- 50 shares × $45 = $2,250
- Commission: $2,250 × 0.5% = $11.25
- Total cost: $2,261.25
Selling side:
- 50 shares × $62 = $3,100
- Commission: $3,100 × 0.5% = $15.50
- You receive: $3,084.50
Bottom line:
- Profit: $823.25
- ROI: 36.4%
Without tracking commissions, you'd think you made $850. The $27 difference won't change your life on one trade — but do this 50 times a year and you've lost over $1,300 to fees you weren't paying attention to.
What's a Good ROI?
Honestly? It depends on what you're comparing it to.
Benchmark | Typical Return | Reality Check |
|---|---|---|
Savings account | ~4-5% | Safe but barely beats inflation |
S&P 500 average | ~10%/year | This is the "market return" people reference |
Strong single trade | 15-25% | Solid win, don't get greedy |
That meme stock your coworker won't shut up about | 300%+ | Cool, but also: survivorship bias |
A 384% ROI like in the calculator demo above? That's a stock that roughly 5x'd. It happens, but building your expectations around it is a recipe for disappointment (or reckless decisions).
Here's the thing most people miss: "boring" 8% annual returns double your money every 9 years. Compounding is genuinely magic if you let it work.
The Commission Reality in 2024
Good news: most of you don't pay commissions anymore.
Fidelity, Schwab, Robinhood, Vanguard, E*TRADE — they all went to $0 for standard stock trades. If that's your broker, leave the commission fields at zero.
But commissions aren't fully dead. You'll still pay if you're:
- Using a full-service broker (the kind that calls you)
- Trading on international exchanges
- Buying options ($0.50–$0.65 per contract is standard)
- Trading penny stocks with per-share fees
- With certain retirement account custodians
How much does it actually matter?
Same $2,250 trade, different brokers:
Broker Type | Commissions | Your Profit | Lost to Fees |
|---|---|---|---|
$0 commission | $0 | $850.00 | — |
0.5% each way | $26.75 | $823.25 | $26.75 |
1% each way | $53.50 | $796.50 | $53.50 |
$9.99 flat each way | $19.98 | $830.02 | $19.98 |
That 1% broker cost you 6.3% of your profits. Not 6.3% of your investment — 6.3% of the money you actually made. On a thinner margin trade, fees like that can turn a winner into a loser.
Break-Even: The Number Nobody Talks About
Most stock calculators give you profit and call it a day. But if you've ever held a stock that dropped and wondered "how much does this thing need to recover?" — that's your break-even price.
Why it matters
Let's say you bought 100 shares at $80 with a 1% commission. The stock tanks to $65.
Your brain says: "I need it to get back to $80."
Reality: You need it to hit roughly $81.62.
Why? Because you paid $80.80 per share after the buying commission. And you'll pay another ~1% when you sell. Your break-even isn't your purchase price — it's your purchase price plus round-trip transaction costs.
That's a 25.6% recovery needed from $65, not the 23% your gut estimated.
This isn't meant to depress you. It's meant to help you make decisions with accurate numbers instead of vibes.
A Quick Word on Taxes
Your profit from this calculator is pre-tax. Uncle Sam will want his cut.
The short version:
How Long You Held | What It's Called | Tax Rate |
|---|---|---|
Under 1 year | Short-term gains | Your regular income tax rate (10-37%) |
Over 1 year | Long-term gains | 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income |
Real example: You make $1,000 profit on a stock you held for 8 months. You're in the 22% bracket. Federal tax: ~$220.
Same profit, but you held for 14 months? Now it's long-term: ~$150 in tax (15% rate for most people).
That's $70 difference for waiting a few extra months. Not always worth it — but worth knowing about.
This isn't tax advice. Talk to a CPA if your situation is complicated.
Making Better Decisions
This calculator gives you numbers. What you do with them is on you. But here's what I've noticed tends to help:
Know your all-in cost before you trade. Not just the share price — the actual total you're spending. No surprises.
Don't sell just because you're up (or panic because you're down). Small price movements aren't signals. They're noise. Have a reason for your decisions beyond "the number changed."
Compare ROI, not just profit. Your $300 gain from a $5,000 position (6% ROI) is worse than your friend's $200 gain from $1,000 (20% ROI). Not emotionally worse — mathematically worse.
Respect the tax calendar. Selling at 11 months and 3 weeks instead of waiting 2 more weeks can cost you real money. Check your purchase date before you sell.
And finally: a calculator can show you what happened. It can't tell you what will happen. Every investment carries risk, past returns don't guarantee future results, and nobody — not even the guy on CNBC who sounds very confident — knows what the market will do tomorrow.