No. 005 — Finance
ROI Calculator
Find the total return and annualized return (CAGR) on any investment.
How this calculator works
Total return compares your final value to your initial investment as a single percentage across the whole period. CAGR (compound annual growth rate) instead answers "what steady annual rate would have produced this same result," which is why it's the right number to use when comparing two investments held for different lengths of time — a 40% total return over 2 years is a much stronger performance than 40% over 10 years, and CAGR makes that visible.
Frequently asked
- What is the difference between total return and CAGR?
- Total return is your overall gain across the whole period. CAGR spreads that gain evenly per year, making different holding periods comparable.
- How do I calculate ROI by hand?
- (Final value − initial investment) ÷ initial investment × 100. For CAGR: (final ÷ initial)^(1/years) − 1.