Trading Profit Calculator — Stock P/L in Dollars + Percent
A trading profit calculator turns a buy price, sell price, and share count into your exact P&L in dollars and percent. Add round-trip commissions and you get net profit too. We also compute the breakeven price (where you'd exit at zero P&L after commissions) — useful for setting tight scratch stops on tight trades.
Results
Net profit / loss
$1,000.00
After deducting round-trip commissions.
Return on capital
10.00%
Net P&L as a % of the position value.
Gross profit / loss
$1,000.00
Before commissions.
Total commissions
$0.00
Buy commission + sell commission combined.
Breakeven price
$100.00
Sell price needed to net zero P&L after commissions.
Results update live as you change inputs. This calculator runs entirely in your browser — your numbers are never sent to a server.
Worked example
You bought 100 shares at $100 ($10,000 cost) and sold at $110. Gross profit = ($110 − $100) × 100 = $1,000. With commission-free trading (today's default on Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab), net profit is also $1,000, which is a 10% return on the $10,000 capital deployed. If your broker charged $5 per side, you'd net $990 instead and your breakeven price would be $100.10.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between gross profit and net profit?
Gross profit is the raw (sell − buy) × shares math. Net profit subtracts costs — primarily commissions and SEC/regulatory fees. On commission-free brokers with US equities, gross and net are usually identical (or differ by a few pennies in SEC fees). On options or futures, the gap can be much wider.
What return percentage is good for a single trade?
It depends on your hold time. Day traders target 0.5-3% per trade. Swing traders target 5-20% per trade. Position traders may hold for months for 30-100%. What matters more is win rate × average win — a steady 5% per trade at 60% win rate beats sporadic 50% winners with frequent losers.
How do I calculate profit on a short trade?
Same formula but reversed: profit = (sell price − buy price) × shares. For shorts, you 'sell' first at a higher price and 'buy' to cover at a lower price. If you shorted at $100 and covered at $90 with 100 shares, gross profit = ($100 − $90) × 100 = $1,000. Enter the higher price as 'buy' and lower as 'sell' to make this calculator work for shorts.
Does this account for taxes?
No. Federal short-term capital gains are taxed at your ordinary income rate (10-37% in the US); long-term gains (held >1 year) at 0-20%. State taxes add on top. A rough rule for active traders: subtract 30-40% of net profit for federal+state taxes when planning. Always consult a CPA for exact treatment.
What's the right commission to enter?
For US stocks on Robinhood, Fidelity, Schwab, Webull, E*TRADE — $0. For Interactive Brokers Pro: ~$0.005/share with a $1 minimum. For options on most brokers: $0.65/contract. For international stocks or older brokers, check your statement. Use 0 if commission-free.
How is return on capital different from return on risk?
Return on capital = profit ÷ position value (the full $10k you deployed). Return on risk = profit ÷ amount at risk (just the $500 between entry and stop). Return on risk is much higher and more useful for comparing strategies — a 10% return on capital but 100% return on risk is excellent.