ROI Explained: How to Calculate Return on Investment

Learn ROI in plain English with examples. Calculate ROI for stocks, crypto, real estate, and trading. Understand what ROI misses and when to use CAGR instead.

ROI answers a simple question: how much did I gain or lose relative to what I invested?

ROI ladder with gain and loss steps.

The formula

ROI = (Final - Initial) / Initial

When ROI is enough

Short timeframes and quick snapshots.

What ROI misses

Time and contributions. For time-aware comparisons, use CAGR.

Tools:

Related guides