Investment Return Calculator – Total %

A proper return number counts both growth and cash thrown off. The calculator takes your starting value, ending value, and any dividends or interest received, then computes the holding-period return. Example: 20,000 that becomes 27,500 while paying 900 of dividends returns (27,500 − 20,000 + 900) ÷ 20,000 = 42% over the period — miss the dividends and you understate by 4.5 points. Held over 3 years, that 42% compounds to (1.42)^(1/3) − 1 ≈ 12.4% annualized, the figure to compare against benchmarks. The same engine handles losses (ending at 16,400 is −13.5%) and partial sales: enter what was sold and what remains at market value. For portfolios with deposits mid-year, switch to money-weighted IRR so each contribution is timed correctly.

1. 1

   Step 1

   Enter the amount invested and the current or sold value.

2. 2

   Step 2

   Add dividends, interest or distributions received meanwhile.

3. 3

   Step 3

   Read total return % and the gain in currency.

4. 4

   Step 4

   Enter the holding years to see the annualized equivalent.

• Excluding dividends

• Averaging multi-year returns

• Ignoring fees