Portfolio Return Calculator

Portfolio return is the percentage change in the value of an investment portfolio over a given period. It is calculated as: (ending value − starting value) / starting value × 100%. It tells the investor how much their wealth has grown or shrunk during the measured period.

CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) is the rate at which an investment would have grown if it grew at a steady annual rate. It is useful for comparing investments over different time horizons because it normalises returns to a per-year basis.

CAGR formula: CAGR = (ending_value / starting_value)^(1/n) − 1, where n is the number of years. For example, growth from 10,000 to 12,500 over 3 years: CAGR = (12500/10000)^(1/3) − 1 ≈ 7.72% per year.

Total return measures the overall percentage gain or loss over the entire period, regardless of its length. CAGR distributes that result into equal annual increments, enabling comparison of investments with different time frames.

No — the calculator computes nominal return. To obtain the real return, subtract the annual inflation rate from the CAGR. For example, a CAGR of 7% with 3% inflation gives a real return of approximately 4% per year.

A negative CAGR means the portfolio lost value over the analysed period. For example, CAGR = −5% indicates the portfolio shrank by an average of 5% per year. The more negative the CAGR, the greater the loss.

Yes. Enter the fund's NAV (net asset value per unit) at the start and end of your holding period and the number of years. The calculator will return the total return and CAGR, making it easy to compare against a benchmark or other funds.

Enter the market value of the portfolio at purchase as the starting value and the current valuation as the ending value. Note that the calculator does not include dividends or commissions — for a complete picture, add received dividends to the ending value.

The Rule of 72 states that capital will approximately double in 72 / CAGR years. For example, at CAGR = 8% doubling takes about 9 years. This is a quick approximation. The portfolio return calculator lets you verify the exact outcome for any time frame.

Historical long-term nominal returns: global developed-market equities approximately 8–10% per year, government bonds approximately 2–4%, gold approximately 4–6%, cash/deposits approximately 1–3%. Past performance does not guarantee future results — every investment carries risk.