ROI Calculator – Return on Investment
Calculate Return on Investment (ROI). Enter initial investment and final value to see your return percentage.
Understanding ROI
Return on Investment (ROI) measures the profitability of an investment relative to its cost: ROI = (Net Profit / Investment Cost) × 100.
For example, if you invest $10,000 and receive $12,500 back, your ROI is (2,500/10,000) × 100 = 25%.
ROI is one of the most widely used financial metrics because of its simplicity and versatility. It can be applied to stocks, real estate, business projects, marketing campaigns, and any scenario where you want to compare the return to the cost.
Limitations of ROI
While useful, ROI has important limitations:
- Time: A 50% ROI over 1 year is very different from 50% over 10 years. Use annualized ROI for fair comparisons.
- Risk: Higher ROI often comes with higher risk, which ROI alone does not capture.
- Opportunity cost: ROI does not account for what else you could have done with the money.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good ROI?
It depends on context. The S&P 500 historically returns about 10% annually. Real estate averages 8-12%. Any investment should ideally exceed the risk-free rate (government bonds, typically 2-5%).
How is ROI different from IRR?
ROI is a simple percentage return. Internal Rate of Return (IRR) accounts for the time value of money and cash flow timing, making it better for comparing investments with different timeframes.
Can ROI be negative?
Yes. A negative ROI means you lost money on the investment. For example, investing $10,000 and getting back $8,000 gives an ROI of -20%.