Stock Profit Calculator
Quickly calculate the profit, loss, and percentage return on any stock trade — including the impact of broker fees on both sides of the transaction. This free online financial calculator runs entirely in your browser — no signup, no data sent anywhere.
Inputs
Results
How It Works (Formula & Method)
Cost = (shares × buy price) + fees on the buy side. Proceeds = (shares × sell price) − fees on the sell side. Profit = Proceeds − Cost. Return % = Profit ÷ Cost × 100. The math is simple — what trips people up is forgetting fees, taxes, or the difference between "percent gain on the stock" (sell ÷ buy − 1) and "percent return on capital" (profit ÷ cost).
Worked Example
Below is a worked example using the calculator's default values. The same numbers are pre-filled in the form above so you can press Calculate and see the result without typing anything.
Inputs used:
- Number of Shares: 100
- Buy Price per Share ($): 50
- Sell Price per Share ($): 75
- Commission per Trade ($): 0
With these inputs, the calculator computes the metrics shown in the Results panel. Change any value and press Calculate again to see how the result responds — the live widget and the chart both update instantly.
About the Stock Profit Calculator
Calculating the true profit on a stock trade means accounting for the price you paid, the price you sold at, the number of shares, and the brokerage fees on each side of the transaction. This calculator does it instantly and shows both the dollar gain and the percentage return on your invested capital.
How to Use This Calculator
Enter the number of shares, the price per share you paid (your buy price), the price per share you received when selling, and the per-trade commission. Modern brokers (Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab) often charge $0 commissions on U.S. stocks, but you may pay regulatory fees or SEC charges on sells.
Tips & Considerations
- For tax purposes, this is your "realized gain" — and it is subject to capital gains tax. Use our Capital Gains Tax Calculator to estimate what you will actually keep.
- If you held for more than a year, the gain qualifies for lower long-term capital gains rates (0%, 15%, or 20%).
- Watch out for wash-sale rules: if you sell at a loss and buy back the same security within 30 days, the loss is disallowed for tax purposes.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I include dividends?
Not in this calculator — it shows price-only return. To include dividends, add them to the proceeds value.
How are fractional shares handled?
Enter the fractional amount (e.g., 1.5) as the number of shares. The math is the same.
Is this gross or net of tax?
Gross. Capital gains tax applies on top. See our Capital Gains Tax Calculator for the after-tax number.
What does the Stock Profit Calculator compute?
The Stock Profit Calculator takes 4 input values and returns 4 results. Calculate stock trade profit or loss including commission fees. Shows cost basis, proceeds, dollar profit, and percentage return.
Reviewed against: IRS publications, Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (consumerfinance.gov), and current published market data. Results are estimates for educational use only — not financial, tax, or legal advice.