— Stock Market
Stock Profit / Loss Calculator
Calculate real profit or loss on a stock trade after brokerage, charges, and capital-gains tax. Enter buy price, sell price, and quantity to see net profit, return, breakeven sell price, annualized return, and target-price needs.
Net profit / loss
$1,000
- Gross profit / loss
- $1,000
- Net return
- 20%
- Breakeven sell price
- $100
Try: Gain: buy 100 → sell 120 × 50, Net of charges + 15% CG tax, A loss: buy 100 → sell 80, Leveraged (50% margin)
— Cost & charge breakdown
| Item | Amount |
|---|---|
| Buy value (50 × 100) | $5,000 |
| Sell value (50 × 120) | $6,000 |
| Gross profit / loss | $1,000 |
| Less: brokerage | $0 |
| Less: other charges | $0 |
| Net profit / loss | $1,000 |
— Profit / loss vs sell price
Download— How it works
Gross P/L = (sell − buy) × quantity. Net P/L = gross − brokerage − other charges − margin interest − capital-gains tax + dividends. Breakeven sell = the price where net P/L is zero after charges. Annualized = (1 + return)^(365 ÷ holding days) − 1.
Gross vs net — what you actually keep
The gross profit is the easy part: (sell − buy) × quantity. But it’s not what lands in your account. Brokerage is charged on both legs, a stack of statutory charges (securities-transaction tax, exchange and regulator fees, GST on brokerage, stamp duty) comes off the turnover, and any gain is taxed. The calculator subtracts all of these and adds any dividends to give the net profit or loss — and the breakdown table shows exactly where the money went.
Worked example — buy ₹/$100, sell 120, 50 shares: Gross profit = (120 − 100) × 50 = 1,000. With 0.1% brokerage and 0.1% other charges on each leg, 15% capital-gains tax and 50 in dividends, the net is about 881 — a 17.6% return. The breakeven sell price is about 99.4: below that, charges turn the trade into a loss.
Tax, holding period and the annualized view
Capital-gains tax usually depends on how long you held: short-term gains are taxed more heavily than long-term ones, and the threshold and rates vary by country — enter the rate that applies to you. The holding period also lets the calculator annualize your return, which makes trades of different lengths comparable: a 17.6% gain over 200 days is a much punchier ~34% a year. A quick flip that looks great in absolute terms can be ordinary once annualized — and vice versa.
Breakeven, leverage and the caveat
The breakeven sell price tells you the minimum exit to avoid a loss once charges are paid — useful before you place an order. If you traded on margin, enter the borrowed share to see the return on your own equity, which leverage magnifies in both directions, net of interest. Set a target return to get the exact sell price to aim for. None of this is investment advice — it’s arithmetic on numbers you supply, and charges, tax rules and rates differ by broker and jurisdiction, so use your actual figures.
— Reader questions
How do I calculate profit on a stock?
Gross profit is (sell price − buy price) × number of shares. Your net profit subtracts brokerage and other charges on both legs and any capital-gains tax, then adds dividends — that’s what you actually keep.
What is the breakeven sell price?
The price at which your net profit is exactly zero after all charges — sell above it to make money, below it and charges put you at a loss. It’s a touch above your buy price because of the round-trip costs.
What is annualized return and why does it matter?
It scales your return to a yearly rate using the holding period, so trades of different lengths are comparable. A 10% gain in 3 months is far stronger annualized than 10% over 3 years.
How does capital-gains tax affect my profit?
It’s charged on the gain (after charges), reducing your net. Rates usually differ for short- vs long-term holdings and by country — enter the rate that applies to your holding period and jurisdiction.
How does margin/leverage change the return?
Borrowing to buy more amplifies both gains and losses on your own capital, and you pay interest on the loan. Enter the borrowed percentage and rate to see your return on equity after interest.