# Capital Gains Yield Calculator

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/finance/capital-gains-yield/
Last updated: 2026-10-25

> The capital gains yield calculator works out the percentage rise (or fall) in the price of a stock or other investment, separate from any dividends, and the total gain on your shares.

## Inputs

- Purchase price per share
- Current price per share
- Number of shares

## Results

- Capital gains yield
- Capital gain per share
- Total capital gain

## Formula

```
Capital gains yield = (current price − purchase price) ÷ purchase price × 100
Total return = capital gains yield + dividend yield
```

## Explanation

Capital gains yield is the price part of an investment's return. Growth companies that pay no dividends deliver all of their return as capital gains; income stocks deliver more of it as dividends.

### How to use the Capital Gains Yield Calculator

- **Purchase price per share**
- **Current price per share**
- **Number of shares**

Results update as you type, and every field accepts the units shown in its menu.

### How it works

Enter the price you bought at, the current price and the number of shares.

### Tips

- Use the nominal annual rate and pick the compounding frequency your bank or broker states.
- Small differences in return or fees compound into large differences over decades.
- Run the calculation with a cautious, a central and an optimistic return to see the range of outcomes.
- Past returns do not guarantee future returns – nothing here is investment advice.

### Common mistakes to avoid

- Comparing an APR with an APY or effective rate.
- Ignoring inflation, taxes and fees when judging a real return.
- Entering a percentage as a decimal (5 instead of 0.05 is correct here).

### Inputs explained

FieldWhat to enterPurchase price per shareAmount in your currencyCurrent price per shareAmount in your currencyNumber of sharesA number

### What each result means

- **Capital gains yield** = ([Current price per share] - [Purchase price per share])÷[Purchase price per share]×100
- **Capital gain per share** = [Current price per share] - [Purchase price per share]
- **Total capital gain** = ([Current price per share] - [Purchase price per share])×[Number of shares]

### Example values

How the main result changes when **Purchase price per share** changes and everything else stays at the example values above:

Purchase price per shareCapital gains yield (%)2514837.565.33502462.5-0.875-17.33100-38

## Worked example

Inputs — Purchase price per share: $50; Current price per share: $62; Number of shares: 100.

Results — **Capital gains yield = 24 %**; Capital gain per share = $12.00; Total capital gain = $1,200.00.

## FAQ

**What is capital gains yield?**
The percentage change in an asset's price over a period.

**Does capital gains yield include dividends?**
No – add the dividend yield to get total return.

**Is a capital gain taxed when the price rises?**
Usually only when you sell (a realized gain).

**What formula does the Capital Gains Yield Calculator use?**
Capital gains yield = (current price − purchase price) ÷ purchase price × 100.