Stock Return Calculator

Total return includes dividends, not just price change — historically dividends supplied roughly a third of U.S. stock returns. Ignoring them makes long-held positions look worse than they were and misprices comparisons against benchmarks.

Annualize before comparing: 60% over 4 years is 12.5% a year — about even with an index fund's long-run average, before your time and risk. Also net out taxes: long-term gains rates reward holding past one year.