Calculate a simple investment return
Enter the amount invested and the total amount received. The second number must include any original capital returned to you: it is the whole amount received, not profit alone. Use the same currency for both numbers. The calculator subtracts the investment to show a net gain or loss, then compares that net result with the original investment. This is a simple one-off percentage that can help compare outcomes when the time periods and accounting basis are similar.
ROI formula
Net gain or loss = total amount received − amount invested. Then ROI = net gain or loss ÷ amount invested × 100%. A positive percentage means more was received than invested; a negative percentage means less was received. Zero means the received amount equals the investment. The percentage is relative to money invested, so the investment must be greater than zero. The amount received can be zero, which produces a −100% return in this simplified model.
Checked example
If you invest $10,000 and receive a total of $12,500, including your returned original capital, the net gain is $12,500 − $10,000 = $2,500. ROI is $2,500 ÷ $10,000 × 100 = 25%. If you receive only $8,000 from the same $10,000 investment, the net result is a $2,000 loss and ROI is −20%. Entering $2,500 as “total received” in the first example would incorrectly report a 75% loss, because the calculator would treat that number as the entire return.
What this percentage leaves out
The formula does not annualize a return or account for how long money was committed. A 25% result over one month and a 25% result over five years are both displayed as 25%, although they describe very different experiences. It also does not model cash-flow timing, financing, taxes, fees, inflation, or risk unless you have already incorporated the relevant amounts consistently into your inputs. Record those assumptions before comparing scenarios. The inputs must be finite, the investment positive, and total received non-negative.
For an operating decision, the break-even calculator estimates the unit sales needed to cover costs. The cash runway calculator estimates how long a cash balance lasts under constant monthly flows. Neither is an investment forecast.
Frequently asked questions
Should I enter profit as the amount received?
No. Include the returned original capital. The calculator finds profit or loss by subtracting the amount invested.
Is this an annual return?
No. The result covers the entire one-off outcome you entered, regardless of its duration.
Can ROI be negative?
Yes. When total received is below the amount invested, the difference and ROI are negative. A zero return received gives −100%.
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