Stock Profit & Loss Calculator
From the buy price, sell price and number of shares, compute the profit or loss amount and the return rate of a share trade.
Input Data
Results
At a glance:The profit on a share trade is the per-share gain times the shares. Profit = (sell price − buy price) × shares; return rate = (sell price − buy price) ÷ buy price × 100. In Hong Kong, stamp duty of 0.1% applies on both buys and sells, plus brokerage, so the net result is a bit lower.
Formula
Profit = (sell price − buy price) × shares.
Return rate = (sell price − buy price) ÷ buy price × 100.
How to Use
- Enter the buy price per share.
- Enter the sell price per share and the shares.
- Read the profit and the return rate.
FAQ
Should transaction costs be counted in the profit?
Yes, to be accurate. This calculator shows pre-fee, paper profit using only prices and shares. But a real Hong Kong trade pays brokerage, the government stamp duty (both sides), exchange and SFC levies, and clearing fees — these erode actual return, especially on small or frequent trades, and can turn a small paper gain into a real loss. Deduct all buy- and sell-side fees from the paper profit for the true net result.
Does a 30% return mean I did great?
It depends on how long you held. Return rate alone ignores time — 30% in half a year is about 69% annualised (excellent), but over five years it is only about 5% annualised (possibly below inflation). Compare investments on an annualised basis, not total return, and weigh the risk taken.
Are dividends included in the return?
This calculator counts only the price-difference capital gain, not cash dividends received. For long-term or income investors, total return = capital gain + dividends; a stock up 10% that also paid 5% dividends really returned about 15%. Add dividends for the true return, especially for yield stocks.
What fees apply to trading Hong Kong stocks, and how do they hit my P&L?
Real trades pay several fees that directly cut profit: (1) brokerage commission (varies widely; some have a minimum); (2) stamp duty — government levy on BOTH sides; (3) SFC transaction levy; (4) exchange trading fee; (5) trading system usage fee; (6) clearing fee (often with min/max). They apply on both buy and sell and partly scale with amount, so small or frequent trades suffer most. A HK$3,000 paper gain can shrink sharply after a few hundred dollars of two-sided fees; a tiny gain can even turn into a net loss. Compute net profit as paper profit minus all buy- and sell-side fees, and factor fees into your break-even.
Return rate vs annualised vs total return with dividends — which should I look at?
They answer different questions. This calculator's return rate = (sell − buy) ÷ buy, only the price-spread percentage — quick but ignores time and dividends. Annualised return scales it by holding period and compounding, so different holding periods become comparable. Total return adds dividends to the capital gain. Use: return rate for a quick 'how many percent'; annualised to compare across periods or vs other assets; total return (with dividends) for the true, complete return, especially yield stocks; then deduct fees and inflation for the real net return. Pair with the percentage-return, holding-period-return and dividend-yield calculators.
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References
Content review: Calculatorism Finance Team. Results are for reference only; please refer to the relevant authorities for the official figures.