Total Return Calculator
Price is only half the story.
Combine price change and dividends to see an investment’s total return, how much came from each, and the equivalent yearly rate.
- Free, no sign-up
- Runs in your browser
- Shareable results
- Educational only
Your holding.
Average yearly dividend.
Dividends are assumed to be received as cash and not reinvested. These are hypothetical assumptions for learning, not forecasts or expected results for any investment.
Result
Where the return came from.
View the detailed table
What the numbers mean.
Two sources of return.
An investment can reward you through a rising price, through income paid out, or both. Total return counts them together.
Yield is not total return.
A high dividend yield means little if the price falls by more than the dividends. Compare total return instead.
Reinvesting changes the picture.
If you reinvested the dividends, your result would differ. This tool treats them as cash.
About this total return calculator.
A total return calculator shows what you actually earned on an investment by adding the change in price to the income you received. Enter how many shares you hold, what you paid, today’s price, the dividend per share each year and how long you held. The calculator splits the result into price return and income return, and converts it to a yearly rate.
Looking at price alone can mislead, particularly for dividend payers. Read dividend yield vs total return and what is dividend yield to see why, and check the glossary entry on total return. To estimate future payouts, use the dividend income calculator, and to compare reinvesting with taking cash, the dividend reinvestment calculator.
How the total return calculator works in practice.
You buy 100 shares at $50 ($5,000), hold them for 3 years, and the price rises to $62 while the company pays $1.80 per share each year.
Price return: 24.00%
Dividends received: $540 (10.80% income return)
Total return: 34.80%
Annualized total return: about 10.47% a year
Total gain: $1,740
Dividends added 10.80 points on top of the 24.00% price gain. They can also rescue a weak result: if the price falls to $46, the price return is −8.00% but the total return is +2.80%. And a share with a flat price that pays $4 a year returned 24.00% from dividends alone over 3 years.
How to choose your inputs.
Number of shares. How many shares or units you hold.
Price you paid per share. Your purchase price. If you bought in several lots, use the average cost basis calculator first.
Current price per share. The latest price, used for the price return.
Dividends per share, per year. The average yearly dividend. Use 0 for a share that pays none.
Years held. How long you have owned it. Decimals are fine.
Total commissions and fees. All trading costs. They add to your cost and lower the result.
How the total return calculator works.
The calculator compares the current value with what you paid, adds the dividends received over the holding period, subtracts fees, and expresses each piece as a share of your cost.
Income return = dividends received ÷ cost
Total return = (price gain + dividends − fees) ÷ cost
Annualized = (1 + total return)^(1 ÷ years) − 1
Taxes, currency changes and the timing of dividends are not modeled. Dividends are assumed steady across the holding period.
Limits of this total return calculator.
The calculator treats dividends as cash received and does not compound them. It uses an average yearly dividend, ignores taxes, currency changes and splits, and measures the past, which does not predict the future. For reinvested income, the dividend reinvestment calculator is closer to what happens in practice.
Common questions about the total return calculator.
What is total return?
The overall gain on an investment including both price changes and income, shown as a percentage of what you paid.
Why do I need it if I know the price?
Because dividends can be a large part of the result, especially for income investments.
How is annualized return calculated?
By converting the total return into the steady yearly rate that would produce it, using compounding.
Does it include reinvested dividends?
No. For reinvestment, see the dividend reinvestment calculator.
What is a good total return?
There is no single good figure. Compare it with a relevant index or benchmark over the same period, and consider the risk you took.
How do I calculate total return on a stock?
Add the change in value and the dividends received, subtract fees, and divide by the amount you paid. The calculator also converts the result to a yearly rate.
How is total return different from price return?
Price return only counts the change in price. Total return also counts income such as dividends, so it is higher for dividend payers.
Does total return include reinvested dividends?
This calculator treats dividends as cash received and does not compound them. To model reinvestment, use the dividend reinvestment calculator.
More calculators.
Educational illustration only, not a forecast or personal investment recommendation. Taxes, currency effects and reinvestment are not modeled.
Further learning: Dividend yield vs total return · What is dividend yield? · Glossary: Total return · Investor.gov: Financial tools and calculators · Research methodology · Financial disclaimer