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The calculator first totals what the position cost you: shares times buy price plus the buy commission. Then it totals what the sale pays: shares times sell price minus the sell commission. Net profit is proceeds minus cost, and return on investment is net profit divided by total cost, times 100. The break-even price adds the sell commission back onto the total cost and divides by the shares, giving the exact sell price where profit is zero. Money figures are rounded to cents. Results are mathematical estimates for planning and education, not financial or tax advice.
Stock profit is what you actually keep from a trade after all costs. Your gross profit is simply (sell price - buy price) × shares, but your net profit subtracts the commissions on both sides. Many brokers now charge zero commission on stock trades, yet fees still matter on options, international stocks, small trades and full-service accounts, so a good calculator treats commissions as first-class inputs rather than an afterthought.
Enter the buy price and sell price per share, the number of shares, and the commission on each side (leave $0 if your broker is commission-free). The calculator shows your total cost, total proceeds, net profit, return on investment as a percentage, and the break-even sell price. Results are mathematical estimates for planning and education, not financial or tax advice.
Total cost = buy price × shares + buy commission. Total proceeds = sell price × shares - sell commission. Net profit = total proceeds - total cost. Return on investment = net profit / total cost × 100. Break-even price = (total cost + sell commission) / shares, the exact sell price where profit is zero. A negative net profit means the trade lost money.
Buy 100 shares at $50 with a $10 buy commission: total cost = 100 × 50 + 10 = $5,010. Sell at $60 with a $10 sell commission: proceeds = 100 × 60 - 10 = $5,990. Net profit = 5,990 - 5,010 = $980. Return = 980 / 5,010 × 100 = 19.56%. Break-even = (5,010 + 10) / 100 = $50.20 per share, so the stock must clear $50.20 before you earn a cent.
Buy 100 shares at $150 with $4.95 commission: cost = $15,004.95. Sell at $175 with $4.95 commission: proceeds = $17,495.05. Net profit = $2,490.10. Return = 2,490.10 / 15,004.95 × 100 = 16.60%. Break-even = (15,004.95 + 4.95) / 100 = $150.10. Notice the profit is $2,490.10 rather than the naive $2,500: the $9.90 of fees never goes away, and the true return is 16.60%, not 16.67%.
Yes, especially on small or short-term trades. A $10 round-trip commission on a $500 trade is already 2% of your capital, so the stock must rise 2% just to break even. On 100 shares bought at $50 with $4.95 each way, break-even moves only from $50.00 to $50.10. But put the same $9.90 of fees on 20 shares and break-even jumps to $50.50, nearly 1% above your entry. Smaller trades get hit disproportionately hard, which is one reason zero-commission brokers became popular with retail investors.
The break-even price is the minimum sell price that recovers everything you paid, including both commissions. For a buy-first trade it is simply your buy price plus total commissions divided by shares. You must sell above this price to profit and below it you take a loss. Traders use it before entering a position to set a realistic minimum price target and to place limit sell orders at the right level.
Gross profit is your gain before fees (and taxes): (sell - buy) × shares. Net profit is what you actually keep: gross profit minus all commissions. Net profit is the true measure of a trade's success, and return on investment should always be computed from the net figure divided by the total cost including the buy commission. Watch out for pages that quote returns on the gross number; it flatters the result.
In the US, stocks held one year or less produce short-term gains taxed as ordinary income (10% to 37%), while stocks held more than a year get long-term rates of 0%, 15% or 20% depending on taxable income, so waiting can keep noticeably more of each profit dollar. Net capital losses can offset gains, with up to $3,000 of net loss deductible against ordinary income per year and the rest carried forward. Other countries differ: the UK, for example, charges 0.5% stamp duty on share purchases and taxes gains above an annual exempt amount. Tax rules change and vary by place, so treat this as background only and check current rules or a professional before acting. How much of your stock profit stays tax-free depends on timing: nothing is taxed until you sell (unrealized gains are not income), long-term gains in the 0% band can let modest earners realize thousands tax-free, and realized losses offset realized gains dollar for dollar.
This calculator measures price profit only and does not add dividends. Dividends are extra income received while holding the stock: for a complete picture of your total return, add any dividends received to the net profit. Holding-period math also matters for comparisons: annualized return converts a total return to a yearly rate with ((1 + total return)⁽³⁶⁵ / days held) - 1) × 100, so a 10% gain in six months annualizes to about 21%, making trades of different lengths comparable.
Total cost = shares × buy price + buy commission. Total proceeds = shares × sell price - sell commission. Net profit = proceeds - cost. For 100 shares bought at $50 and sold at $60 with $10 commission each way: cost $5,010, proceeds $5,990, net profit $980.
Gross profit is your gain before fees and taxes: (sell - buy) × shares. Net profit is what you actually keep after commissions: gross minus all fees. Always judge a trade by the net figure.
The minimum sell price that recovers your total investment including all fees: (total cost + sell commission) / shares. Buy 100 shares at $50 with $4.95 commission each way and you break even at $50.10, not $50.00. Sell above it to profit; below it is a loss.
ROI = (net profit / total cost) × 100, where total cost includes the buy commission. Spend $5,010 including a $10 commission and net $980, and your ROI is 980 / 5,010 × 100 = 19.56%.
Yes, especially on small trades. A $10 round trip on a $500 position is a 2% drag, meaning the stock must rise 2% just to break even. Many brokers now offer $0 stock commissions, but options, international stocks and small positions still feel fees keenly.
Not in the price calculation, but you should for the full picture. Add any dividends received to the net profit to get your total return on the position.
In the US it depends on holding period: one year or less is a short-term gain taxed as ordinary income (10-37%), more than a year is long-term at 0%, 15% or 20% by income bracket. Rules vary by country and change over time; this is background only, not tax advice.
With the sell price in B2, buy price in A2, shares in C2 and total fees in D2, use =(B2-A2)*C2-D2 for profit and =((B2-A2)*C2-D2)/(A2*C2+E2)*100 for ROI percent where E2 is the buy commission.
Cost basis is the total amount you paid for the investment, including commissions. It is the base used to compute your taxable gain or loss when you sell. If you bought shares at different prices, common methods to determine which shares were sold include FIFO, LIFO or specific identification.
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