Dividends carry most of history
Roughly half of long-term global equity returns (since 1900) came from dividends and their reinvestment, not price moves.
Total return
Stock Return Calculator — CAGR + Dividends
Inputs
Price path assumption: linear between start and end. You can enter an override reinvest price per dividend row if you like.
Applied before DRIP; leave blank for 0%.
Dividend schedule
Enter one row per dividend: Date, Dividend per share, optional Reinvest price override.
| Date | DPS ($) | Reinvest price (opt.) |
|---|
Tip: You can paste CSV into the table (Date,DPS,Price).
Results
Summary:
Metrics:
Equity curve
Linear price between start and end; DRIP adds shares on dividend dates.
Cash-flow table
| Date | Event | Price | Shares Δ | Shares | Cash Δ | Cash | Portfolio Value |
|---|
Stock return calculator: what it does
This stock return calculator estimates how an investment grows over time, including both price changes and dividends. It shows total return, ending value, and annualized performance (CAGR), and it can model dividend reinvestment (DRIP) if you want to see how reinvesting payouts affects your share count. It’s a clear way to answer questions like “What was my total return?” and “How much did dividends contribute?”
Simple concepts, plain language
When a stock price rises, your shares are worth more—that’s a capital gain. When a company pays a dividend, you receive cash based on your shares and the dividend per share (DPS). If you reinvest dividends, that cash buys more shares, which can compound over time. Total return combines both price movement and dividends, while CAGR (compound annual growth rate) converts the overall change into a yearly average growth rate.
How to use the calculator
- Enter your start and end dates, then add the starting price and ending price.
- Choose whether you want to enter the number of shares or an initial investment amount.
- Add dividend payments by date with the dividend per share. Toggle DRIP if you want to reinvest those dividends.
- Set a dividend tax rate if you want after-tax results.
- Click Calculate to see ending value, total return, and CAGR.
Where this is useful
- Portfolio tracking: Compare your stock performance with and without dividend reinvestment.
- Investment planning: Estimate how a long-term holding performed over years.
- Dividend analysis: See how much of your return came from payouts versus price appreciation.
- Education: Learn the difference between price return and total return in a concrete way.
Key formulas (optional detail)
- Final value: \( V_{\text{end}} = S_{\text{end}} \cdot P_e + \text{Cash}_{\text{end}} \)
- Total return: \( \frac{V_{\text{end}}}{V_{\text{start}}}-1 \)
- CAGR: \( \left(\frac{V_{\text{end}}}{V_{\text{start}}}\right)^{1/\text{years}} - 1 \)
Notes & assumptions
- Dividend date prices default to a linear estimate between start and end prices, unless you override them.
- Dividends are applied on the dates you enter, so use a consistent schedule (pay date or record date).
- Splits aren’t modeled directly; adjust your starting shares to reflect splits.
- Results are nominal USD and exclude fees, commissions, and foreign exchange.
5 Fun Facts about Stock Returns
Sequence matters
Two investors with the same average return can end up miles apart if one sees losses early while contributing and gains later.
Order effect
Splits hide in share count
A 2-for-1 split doubles shares and halves price—total value unchanged. Adjusting share count, not price, keeps CAGR math clean.
Splits
Tax drag is sneaky
Reinvested dividends taxed each year can lower CAGR versus deferring tax—same headline yield, different after-tax compounding.
After-tax
Time in beats timing
Missing just a handful of the best days in a decade can slash total return—why many investors stay invested and avoid guessing tops.
Stay invested