📉 Rate of Return Calculator
Enter your beginning and ending investment values, any income received, and the holding period to calculate your rate of return.
What is rate of return?
Rate of return measures how much an investment has gained or lost relative to its starting value, expressed as a percentage. It’s one of the most fundamental measures used to evaluate investment performance.
How this calculator works
The simple total return is calculated as: Rate of Return = [(Ending Value – Beginning Value + Income) ÷ Beginning Value] × 100. Income includes any dividends, interest, or distributions received during the holding period. To make returns comparable across different time frames, this calculator also annualizes the return using Annualized Return = [(Ending Value + Income) ÷ Beginning Value](1 ÷ years) – 1.
- Annualizing lets you compare a 3-month return to a 3-year return on equal footing.
- This calculation does not account for taxes, fees, or the timing of cash flows within the period.
This calculator is for general educational and planning purposes only and is not investment advice.