Stock Profit Calculator
Estimate your total profit or loss from a stock trade, including commissions. Enter your shares, buy price, sell price, and any fees to see your real return.
Profit is calculated after commissions. Your net return reflects the full cost of buying and selling the shares.
Tip: If you trade frequently, small commissions can add up. Try adjusting the fees to see how they affect your total return.
Important: This calculator is for educational purposes only and does not account for taxes, slippage, or bid/ask spread. Consult a qualified professional for advice specific to your situation.
How This Calculator Works
This calculator computes your total profit after factoring in commissions on both the buy and sell.
- Total cost = (shares × buy price) + buy commission
- Total proceeds = (shares × sell price) − sell commission
- Total profit = total proceeds − total cost
- Return (%) = total profit ÷ total cost
What Counts as Profit on a Stock Trade?
At its simplest, profit is the difference between what you receive when you sell and what you paid when you bought. But in real trades, there are additional costs that reduce your take-home result. This calculator focuses on the most common direct costs you control in every trade:
- The number of shares you buy
- The price you pay per share
- The price you sell per share
- Commissions or flat trading fees on both sides
Profit can be positive (a gain) or negative (a loss). A higher sell price does not always guarantee a gain if fees are high relative to the trade size.
What Goes Into Total Cost
Your total cost represents all the money that leaves your account when you open the position.
Total cost includes:
- Shares × buy price: the cost of the shares themselves
- Buy commission: the flat fee or brokerage charge to place the buy order
This is the baseline amount your trade must recover before it becomes profitable.
What Goes Into Total Proceeds
Your total proceeds represent the money you receive when you close the position.
Total proceeds include:
- Shares × sell price: the cash value of the shares sold
- Sell commission: a flat fee that reduces what you actually take home
Proceeds are what you end up with after the position is closed.
Why Commissions Matter
Commissions are a direct cost that reduce your net return. Even if your sell price is higher than your buy price, the trade can still produce a loss once commissions are included. This is especially true for smaller trades or short-term trades where the price move is modest.
If you’re comparing multiple trade ideas, using net profit (after commissions) helps you:
- Compare trades on an apples-to-apples basis
- Avoid underestimating costs on frequent trades
- See the break-even price you need just to cover fees
Break-Even Sell Price
If you want to know the minimum sell price needed to break even, you can rearrange the formula:
Break-even sell price = (total cost + sell commission) ÷ shares
That’s a quick way to see how far the price needs to move before you make a profit.
Profit vs. Return
Profit tells you the dollar amount you gained or lost.
Return (%) tells you how efficient that trade was relative to the amount of capital you put at risk.
Two trades can have the same profit but very different returns depending on the size of the position. Use return when you want to compare trades of different sizes.
Key Considerations Before You Trade
Profit is more than price movement. Here are the most common factors that impact your real return:
- Position size: Large trades amplify gains and losses in dollars, even if the percentage return is the same.
- Entry and exit timing: The price you get is the price that matters, not just the “target” price.
- Commissions and fees: Even small flat fees can materially affect smaller trades.
- Time in the trade: Holding periods can influence your opportunity cost and potential tax treatment.
- Volatility: Highly volatile stocks can swing widely, which affects your risk of loss and your return profile.
A Deeper Example
Imagine two trades with the same price move but different sizes and fees:
Trade A
- 50 shares, buy at $20, sell at $22
- $4 commission on buy and sell
Trade B
- 500 shares, buy at $20, sell at $22
- $4 commission on buy and sell
Both trades gain $2 per share, but the commission cost is far more meaningful for Trade A. The smaller the position, the more fees can dominate the final outcome.
Step-by-Step Walkthrough
Use this checklist to interpret the results:
- Confirm your share count and prices
The calculator assumes a single buy and a single sell. - Review total cost
This is the amount you invested to open the trade. - Review total proceeds
This is what you receive after closing the trade. - Compare profit and return
Profit shows the dollar result; return shows the efficiency of the trade.
What This Calculator Does Not Include
This tool focuses on the core trade math. It does not account for:
- Taxes or capital gains
- Bid/ask spread
- Slippage on market orders
- Dividends or corporate actions
- Margin interest or borrowing costs
- Partial fills across multiple prices
If any of these apply to you, treat the calculator as a starting point and adjust your expectations accordingly.
Example
If you buy 100 shares at $25 with a $5 commission and sell at $32 with a $5 commission:
- Total cost = (100 × $25) + $5 = $2,505
- Total proceeds = (100 × $32) − $5 = $3,195
- Total profit = $3,195 − $2,505 = $690
- Return = $690 ÷ $2,505 = 27.55%
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good profit percentage on a stock trade?
There’s no universal “good” percentage. It depends on your strategy, time horizon, and risk tolerance. A smaller, consistent return with controlled risk may be more sustainable than chasing large wins.
Why is my profit lower than expected even though the price went up?
Commissions, fees, or a smaller-than-expected price move can reduce net profit. If you bought fewer shares or paid higher fees, your final result can be lower than the price move suggests.
Should I use profit or return to compare trades?
Use profit for the dollar outcome and return to compare efficiency between trades of different sizes.
Does this calculator include taxes?
No. Taxes can materially affect your take-home result. This tool is designed for quick estimates before tax impact.
How do I account for dividends?
Dividends are not included. If you expect dividends during the holding period, add them to total proceeds manually.
Does this work for short selling?
This calculator is designed for long positions only. Short selling has different mechanics and risk characteristics.
Can I use this for options?
Options have different pricing, leverage, and fee structures. This calculator is not designed for options trades.
What if my broker has zero commissions?
Set both commission fields to 0. The calculator will then show your profit based purely on price movement.
Notes and Assumptions
- Commissions are applied as flat fees per trade.
- Taxes, dividends, and other costs are not included.
- Use this as a simple, quick estimate for a single trade.