Stock Profit & Break-even Calculator
What a trade really made after costs, and the price where it breaks even.
Breakdown
How this was calculated
Results are estimates for general information and planning, not financial advice. Banks and institutions may calculate differently (rounding, fees, rate changes). Confirm figures with your lender or a qualified adviser before deciding.
About the Stock Profit & Break-even Calculator
The difference between your buy and sell prices is only the start: commissions on both orders and other costs come out of it, and they also move the price you need to break even. This calculator works out the net profit or loss on a trade, the return on the money you put in and — if you enter the dates — the annualised return, so a two-week trade and a two-year holding can be compared.
It handles long trades (buy, then sell) and short trades (sell first, buy back later), commissions charged as a flat fee per trade, a percentage of the trade value or an amount per share, and it solves the break-even exit price and the price you need for a target return. Choose rupees, dollars, euros or pounds.
How to use it
- Choose Long if you bought first and sold later, or Short if you sold first and bought back later.
- Enter the number of shares, the buy price and the sell price.
- Choose how your broker charges commission — per trade, % of the trade value or per share — and enter it for the buy and the sell. Add other costs such as taxes and exchange fees as one amount.
- Optionally enter the dates the trade was opened and closed for the annualised return, and a target return to see the exit price it needs.
- Read the net profit, the return and the break-even price. Copy the summary or download the breakdown as CSV.
Examples
100 shares bought at ₹250 on 10 Jan 2025, sold at ₹280 on 10 Jul 2025 · ₹20 per trade
Net profit ₹2,960 · return 11.83% · annualised 25.29% (181 days) · break-even sell price ₹250.40
Sold 50 shares short at $40, bought back at $35 · 0.1% commission each way
Net profit $246.25 · return 12.31% of the $2,000 sold · break-even buy-back price $39.92
10 shares bought at ₹1,000, sold at ₹900 · 0.5% commission each way · ₹15 other costs
Net loss ₹1,110 (−11.04%) · break-even sell price ₹1,011.56
Common uses
- Check what a trade actually made after your broker’s fees.
- Find the price at which to sell — or buy back a short — without losing money.
- Compare the return on trades held for different lengths of time.
- Set a sell price for a target return before you place the order.
The formulas
- Net P&L = Q × (Sell − Buy) − commission on the buy − commission on the sell − other costs. The same for a short: you sell high first and buy back lower.
- Return = Net P&L ÷ capital. For a long trade the capital is what you paid, Q × Buy plus the buy commission; for a short sale it is the value of the shares you sold short, Q × Sell.
- Annualised return = (1 + Return)^(365 ÷ days held) − 1 — the yearly rate that would compound to the same return.
- Break-even sell price (long) = (Q × Buy + buy commission + fixed sell commission + other costs) ÷ (Q × (1 − sell commission %)). With flat fees this is simply Buy + all costs ÷ Q.
- Break-even buy-back price (short) = (Q × Sell − sell commission − fixed buy commission − other costs) ÷ (Q × (1 + buy commission %)).
Why break-even is above your buy price
Every cost has to be earned back before a trade makes money, so a long position breaks even above the price you paid and a short below the price you sold at. A percentage commission on the closing order grows with the price, which is why the break-even formula divides by (1 − commission %). For Indian equity trades with brokerage, STT, exchange charges, stamp duty and GST worked out line by line, use the brokerage calculator.
Limitations
- One buy and one sell of the same quantity. For several purchases at different prices, find the average price first with the stock average calculator.
- Taxes on the profit (capital gains tax) are not deducted. Enter any transaction taxes you know as other costs.
- Short sales: borrowing fees, margin interest and dividends you have to pay while short are not included unless you add them as other costs.
- The annualised return compounds the trade’s return over a year; for very short trades it is mathematically correct but rarely achievable.
Privacy
Everything happens in your browser. What you enter or open here is not uploaded or stored by MySmartCoPilot.
Frequently asked questions
How do I calculate profit on a stock?
Multiply the number of shares by the difference between the sell and buy prices, then subtract the commissions on both trades and any other costs. 100 shares bought at ₹250 and sold at ₹280 with ₹20 per trade make 100 × ₹30 − ₹40 = ₹2,960.
What is the break-even price of a stock?
The price at which selling gives exactly zero profit after all costs. For a long trade with flat fees it is the buy price plus all commissions and costs divided by the number of shares — ₹250 + ₹40 ÷ 100 = ₹250.40 in the example above.
How is profit worked out on a short sale?
In the same way, with the order of the trades reversed: you sell first at a higher price and buy back later at a lower one. Selling 50 shares at $40 and buying them back at $35 makes 50 × $5 = $250 before commissions. If the price rises instead, the loss has no upper limit.
What is the difference between return and annualised return?
The return is what the trade made relative to the money invested, however long it took. The annualised return converts it to a yearly rate: 11.83% in 181 days is 25.29% a year, because the same return would be earned about twice in a year and compound.
Does the calculator include tax?
No tax on the profit itself. In India, gains on listed shares are taxed as short- or long-term capital gains depending on how long you held them; use the capital gains tax calculator for that.