Stock Profit Calculator
Calculate the profit or loss on a stock trade after buying and selling fees, including net return on investment and the break-even selling price. You can also work backwards to find the selling price needed to reach a target return.
The calculator uses the prices and fees you enter. It does not fetch live market prices or predict future ones.
Results
Purchase Value vs. Sale Value
The chart appears after a valid calculation.
Stock Profit Calculation Breakdown
The breakdown appears after a valid calculation.
How the Stock Profit Calculator Works
Variables: Q = number of shares, B = purchase price per share, S = selling price per share, Fb = total buying fees, Fs = total selling fees, C = total acquisition cost, N = net sale proceeds, T = target return in percent.
Mode A: stock profit or loss.
- Enter the shares, purchase price, selling price and both total fees.
- Purchase value: Vb = Q × B.
- Add buying fees for total acquisition cost: C = Vb + Fb.
- Gross sale value: Vs = Q × S.
- Subtract selling fees for net proceeds: N = Vs − Fs.
- Net profit or loss: P = N − C.
- Return on investment: ROI = P / C × 100.
Gross profit G = Vs − Vb
Net profit P = G − (Fb + Fs)
Break-even price = (C + Fs) / Q
A trade can show a gross profit before fees but a net loss after them.
Mode B: required selling price.
- Enter the shares, purchase price, target return and both fees.
- Calculate C = Q × B + Fb.
- Required net proceeds: C × (1 + T/100).
- Add selling fees to get the required gross sale value.
- Divide by Q to get the price per share.
- Round the price up to the next cent, then recompute profit and ROI from that displayed price.
S_required = (C × (1 + T/100) + Fs) / Q
The required price is a mathematical threshold, not a forecast of where the market will trade.
Assumptions: one purchase and one sale at single prices, fixed total fees, one display currency with no conversion, and no dividends, taxes, margin interest, partial sales or price forecast. Real results can differ because of taxes, commissions, exchange fees, regulatory charges, slippage, bid-ask spreads and the actual execution price.
What Is a Stock Profit Calculator?
A stock profit calculator estimates the gain or loss on a share transaction from the purchase price, selling price, number of shares and transaction fees. Gross profit and net profit are different things: gross profit looks only at the change in share value, while net profit also subtracts the buying and selling fees.
This calculator works only with the numbers you enter. It does not retrieve real-time stock prices or predict market movements.
How to Use the Stock Profit Calculator
Select a display currency first. It changes only how amounts are formatted and never converts money between currencies.
To calculate profit or loss, enter the number of shares, the purchase and selling prices per share, and the total buying and selling fees, then press Calculate. Review the total acquisition cost, net sale proceeds, net profit or loss and net ROI, and compare purchase value with sale value in the bar chart. To find a selling price for a goal, switch to the required-selling-price mode and enter the quantity, purchase price, fees and target return. The breakdown shows every step with your own numbers. If you change an input after calculating, press Calculate again.
The Stock Profit Formula
Purchase Value = Q × B
Total Acquisition Cost = (Q × B) + Fb
Gross Sale Value = Q × S
Net Sale Proceeds = (Q × S) − Fs
Net Profit or Loss = Net Sale Proceeds − Total Acquisition Cost
Q is the number of shares, B the purchase price per share, S the selling price per share, Fb the total buying fees and Fs the total selling fees. Fees must be included because they are real costs on both sides of the trade, and leaving them out overstates the result.
Stock Profit Example With Buying and Selling Fees
Suppose you buy 10 shares at $100 and sell them at $125, paying $5 in buying fees and $5 in selling fees.
Purchase Value = 10 × 100 = $1,000
Total Acquisition Cost = 1000 + 5 = $1,005
Gross Sale Value = 10 × 125 = $1,250
Net Sale Proceeds = 1250 − 5 = $1,245
Net Profit = 1245 − 1005 = $240
ROI = 240 / 1005 × 100 ≈ 23.88%
The gross change in share value is $250, the net sale proceeds are $1,245, and the net profit is $240 after the two $5 fees. These are illustrative calculations, not a recommendation to buy or sell any stock.
How to Calculate the Selling Price Needed for a Target Return
The reverse mode defines the target return as net profit divided by total acquisition cost. The formulas are:
N_required = C × (1 + T/100)
S_required = (C × (1 + T/100) + Fs) / Q
Take 10 shares bought at $100, with $5 buying fees, $5 selling fees and a 20% target:
C = (10 × 100) + 5 = $1,005
N_required = 1005 × 1.20 = $1,206
S_required = (1206 + 5) / 10 = $121.10
Under these assumptions the required price is $121.10 per share. A real trade may execute at a different price, and the calculation does not predict whether the stock will reach that level.
What Is the Difference Between Gross Profit and Net Profit?
Gross profit is the gross sale value minus the purchase value, before any fees. Net profit subtracts the buying and selling fees as well.
Gross Profit = Vs − Vb
Net Profit = Gross Profit − (Fb + Fs)
Fees can shrink a gain or turn a small gross profit into a net loss.
How to Calculate Stock Return on Investment
ROI measures net profit or loss relative to the total acquisition cost, which includes buying fees:
ROI = Net Profit or Loss / Total Acquisition Cost × 100
A positive ROI means a net gain under your entered assumptions, zero means break-even and a negative ROI means a net loss. ROI does not capture how long you held the shares, dividends, tax treatment or risk.
How Transaction Fees Affect Stock Profit
Buying and selling fees both reduce the final result. Because this calculator uses fixed total fees, the same fee takes a larger share of a small trade than of a large one. A $10 round trip on a $200 position matters far more than on a $20,000 position.
The calculator does not work out percentage-based commissions, securities taxes or regulatory charges, and it does not know any broker's fee schedule. Add up every relevant cost yourself and enter the totals in the currency you are displaying.
What Is the Break-Even Selling Price?
The break-even selling price is the price per share that recovers the purchase value and both fixed fees:
S_break-even = (C + Fs) / Q
Selling below this theoretical price produces a loss under the modeled costs, and selling above it produces a positive result, subject to the actual execution price. Taxes and costs you did not enter can move your true break-even point.
Limitations of a Stock Profit Calculator
- It uses prices you enter, not live market data.
- It assumes one purchase and one sale at a single price each.
- It supports fixed total buying and selling fees only.
- It does not deduct taxes or include dividends.
- It does not model multiple purchases or partial sales at different prices.
- It does not predict market performance or capture costs you did not enter.
Actual returns can differ because of fees, taxes, price movement, execution timing and other transaction conditions.
How to Interpret Your Stock Profit Results
Start with purchase value and total acquisition cost to see what you put in, then compare gross sale value with net sale proceeds to see the effect of selling fees. Gross profit shows the price effect alone, net profit shows the result after fees, and ROI puts net profit in proportion to your cost. The break-even price shows where the trade stops losing money.
In target-return mode, the result is the price that meets your requested return after the fees you entered. Treat the calculator as an arithmetic and planning tool, not a prediction of future prices or a recommendation to buy or sell a security.
Frequently asked questions
What is a stock profit calculator?
It calculates a stock transaction's profit or loss using share quantity, purchase price, selling price and the transaction fees you enter.
How do I calculate stock profit?
Net profit equals net sale proceeds after selling fees minus the purchase cost including buying fees: Net Profit = (Q × S − Fs) − (Q × B + Fb).
What is the difference between gross profit and net profit?
Gross profit excludes transaction fees. Net profit accounts for the buying and selling fees entered into the calculator.
Does the stock profit calculator include brokerage fees?
You can enter fixed total buying and selling fees, and the calculator includes them in the net result. It does not estimate a particular broker's charges or percentage-based commission schedule.
How is stock ROI calculated?
This calculator divides net profit or loss by total acquisition cost, including buying fees, and multiplies by 100: ROI = Net Profit or Loss / Total Acquisition Cost × 100.
How can I calculate the selling price needed for a target return?
Use the required-selling-price mode. Enter the purchase price, quantity, fees and target ROI, and the calculator returns the minimum price per share needed under those assumptions.
What is the break-even selling price for a stock?
It is the theoretical selling price needed to recover the purchase value plus buying and selling fees, before any excluded costs.
Does the stock profit calculator include taxes and dividends?
No. It does not calculate taxes or include dividend income. Account for those separately where relevant.
Does this calculator use real-time stock prices?
No. It uses the prices you enter and does not retrieve live market prices or predict future stock performance.
Can a stock with a higher selling price still produce a net loss?
Yes. If fees are large enough, a sale above the purchase price can still end in a net loss, because net profit compares proceeds after selling fees with cost including buying fees. The calculator weighs all the entered amounts to show the net outcome.
Disclaimer. Results are mathematical estimates based on the prices, quantities and fixed fees you enter. They do not include taxes, dividends, market impact or any cost you did not enter, and they do not predict future stock prices or guarantee a trading result. This is not personalised financial advice or a recommendation to buy or sell any security.