Investment Return Calculator
Calculate how your investment has performed. Enter the starting value, ending value, contributions and withdrawals in the white box. The teal box automatically calculates your investment gain or loss and total percentage return.
What to calculate next?
Suggested next step Investment Calculator →Explore how contributions and returns could grow over time.
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How the Investment Return Calculator works
This calculator measures the gain or loss on an investment after accounting for additional contributions and withdrawals.
It compares the value remaining in your investment, plus withdrawals received, against the total capital contributed.
Investment return formula
Investment gain or loss = Ending value + Withdrawals − Starting value − Additional contributions.
Total investment return (%) = (Investment gain or loss ÷ Total capital contributed) × 100.
Total capital contributed = Starting value + Additional contributions.
Investment return example
Suppose your investment starts at $10,000. You contribute another $2,000 and withdraw $500 during the investment period.
If your remaining investment is worth $15,000, your investment gain is $3,500.
Your total capital contributed is $12,000, giving a simple investment return of approximately 29.17%.
What is annualized return?
Annualized return expresses an investment's overall return as an equivalent compounded annual rate.
This calculator annualizes the simple total return percentage over the investment period. It is an approximation when contributions or withdrawals occur during the period.
Important: contributions and withdrawals
The dates of contributions and withdrawals affect an investment's true annualized performance.
This calculator uses aggregate cash-flow amounts rather than individual transaction dates. Its total return is a simple capital-based return, not a time-weighted investment return.
For investments with cash flows occurring on different dates, an XIRR calculation or time-weighted return calculation may provide a more meaningful performance measure.
Important considerations
Enter the ending value after withdrawals have been taken out. Do not include those withdrawals again in the ending value.
Investment fees and taxes are not separately calculated. If they have already reduced the ending investment value, their effect is reflected in the result.
This calculator is intended for estimating investment performance and should not replace detailed portfolio accounting or professional financial advice.
Why can investment return differ from account balance growth?
Deposits can increase an account balance without representing investment profit, while withdrawals can reduce the balance without indicating a loss. For example, an account that starts at $5,000, receives a $1,000 contribution and ends at $6,500 has a $500 gain before fees and taxes, not a $1,500 gain. The calculator adjusts for contributions and withdrawals; its annualized estimate is not a cash-flow-timed internal rate of return.