Gain & Loss Percentage Calculator
Compare two entered values to calculate the amount and percentage change. When the ending value is lower, the tool also shows the mathematically required recovery to return to the starting value.
Enter two comparable values
Use one currency and one gross-or-net convention for both values.
A display label only; no currency conversion occurs.
Must be greater than zero.
May be zero, but cannot be negative.
When entered, the page also computes CAGR from the same two values.
Exact arithmetic
Capital Change and Recovery model 1.0.0.
How percentage change and recovery differ
Percentage change divides the difference by the starting value. A gain and a loss of the same percentage do not cancel because the second percentage is applied to a different base.
Recovery percentage divides the amount needed to return to the start by the lower ending value. If the ending value is zero, no finite percentage gain can restore the start from that base.
Worked examples
| Entered scenario | Derived output | Meaning |
|---|---|---|
| 10,000 → 12,500 | +25.00% | A gain of 2,500. |
| 10,000 → 8,000 | −20.00%; recovery 25.00% | A 2,000 loss needs 2,000 from the lower 8,000 base. |
| 10,000 → 5,000 | −50.00%; recovery 100.00% | The ending value must double to return to 10,000. |
Model and execution limitations
- The calculator compares only the two values entered; it does not know what happened between them.
- CAGR is a smoothed annualized rate from two endpoints. It does not show volatility, drawdowns, cash flows or path dependence.
- The display currency is a label. The tool does not convert or verify mixed-currency values.
- Costs, deposits and withdrawals are not separated unless they are already reflected consistently in the entered values.
The CFTC cautions that hypothetical results have inherent limitations and that actual results can differ because of factors including spreads, commissions, liquidity and execution. The result on this page should be read within the narrower boundaries stated above.
Frequently asked questions
- Subtract the starting value from the ending value, divide by the starting value, then multiply by 100.
- After a 20% loss, 80% remains. The missing 20 is one quarter of that lower 80 base, so a 25% gain is required.
- The loss is 100%. Recovery percentage is shown as not finite because no percentage applied to zero can restore a positive starting value.
- When elapsed years are supplied, CAGR is the constant annual rate that links the two entered endpoints. It is not a forecast.
- No. It compares endpoints only and cannot distinguish trading performance from external cash flows.
Method sources and provenance
- Investor.gov compound-interest calculator — Official reference for endpoint, rate and cash-flow concepts.
- CFTC trading-system advisory — Official limitations for hypothetical and past-performance claims.
Local calculation: Inputs are processed in the browser by the named versioned model. The page does not send entered balances, rates, probabilities or notes to a calculation API.
Continue the performance workflow
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