Stock Return Calculator

Calculate stock investment returns. See total return, annualized gains, dividend income, and after-tax profit with dollar-cost averaging comparison.

Initial Investment ($)

Purchase Price / Share ($)

Current / Selling Price ($)

Dividend Yield (%)

Holding Period (Years)

Capital Gains Tax Rate (%)

Total Return (Pre-Tax)

$5,000.00

+50.00%

CAGR

6.96%

Price Appreciation

$4,000.00

Total Dividends

$1,000.00

After-Tax Return

$4,250.00

Return Breakdown

Price Appreciation: $4,000.00

Dividends: $1,000.00

Tax on Capital Gains

$600.00

Tax on Dividends

$150.00

Tax Analysis

Holding Type

Long-Term

Held 1+ years

Effective Tax Rate

15.0%

Break-Even Price

$135.00

Including dividends

After-Tax Return

$4,250.00

Reinvested vs Cash Dividends

Reinvested Dividends

$15,457.13

Dividends used to buy more shares

Cash Dividends

$15,000.00

Dividends taken as cash

Reinvesting dividends adds $457.13 more over 5 years through compounding.

Historical Benchmark Comparison

S&P 500 Avg (10.26%/yr)

$16,296.33

Your stock trails by $1,296.33

Bonds Avg (5%/yr)

$12,762.82

Your stock beats by $2,237.18

Savings Acct (4%/yr)

$12,166.53

Your stock beats by $2,833.47

Your annualized total return: 8.45%. Benchmarks based on long-term historical averages. Past performance does not guarantee future results.

Growth Over Time

Initial Investment

Appreciation

Dividends

$0.00$7.5K$15.0K

Dollar-Cost Averaging Comparison

Lump Sum ($10,000.00 upfront)

$14,000.00

DCA ($166.67/mo)

$11,854.75

Comparison assumes the same total investment ($10,000.00) either invested upfront or spread equally over 60 months. Lump sum investing historically outperforms DCA approximately 66% of the time in rising markets.

Year-by-Year Breakdown

Year	Appreciation	Dividends	Total Value
1	$696.10	$200.00	$10,896.10
2	$1,440.66	$400.00	$11,840.66
3	$2,237.05	$600.00	$12,837.05
4	$3,088.88	$800.00	$13,888.88
5	$4,000.00	$1,000.00	$15,000.00

How to Use Stock Return Calculator

1Enter your initial investment and share prices
2Set the dividend yield and holding period
3Add your capital gains tax rate
4Review total returns and comparisons

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good annual return on stocks?▾

The S&P 500 has averaged about 10% annually (7% after inflation). Returns of 8-12% are generally considered good for long-term equity investing.

How are stock returns taxed?▾

Short-term gains (held < 1 year) are taxed as ordinary income. Long-term gains (held > 1 year) are taxed at preferential rates of 0%, 15%, or 20% depending on income.

What is dollar-cost averaging?▾

DCA means investing a fixed amount regularly regardless of price. It reduces the risk of buying at a market peak and typically produces better risk-adjusted returns for most investors.

About Stock Return Calculator

Calculate stock investment returns. See total return, annualized gains, dividend income, and after-tax profit with dollar-cost averaging comparison.

NexTool's Stock Return Calculator is completely free to use with no sign-up required. Your data is processed directly in your browser and never sent to our servers, ensuring complete privacy and instant results.