Stock Percentage Gain Calculator
Turn two prices into a percent move, and see why losses hurt more than they look. Enter an old and new price for the percent change, then enter a drawdown to see the gain you'd need just to get back to flat.
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- Calculated in your browser, not on our servers
- Formula shown with your numbers
Percent change
(57.00 − 50.00) ÷ 50.00 = +14.00%
Loss recovery
20.0 ÷ (100 − 20.0) = 25.00%
The recovery table
| Loss | Gain to recover | Scale |
|---|---|---|
| −5% | +5.3% | |
| −10% | +11.1% | |
| −20% | +25.0% | |
| −25% | +33.3% | |
| −33% | +49.3% | |
| −40% | +66.7% | |
| −50% | +100.0% | |
| −60% | +150.0% | |
| −75% | +300.0% | |
| −90% | +900.0% |
Gains are measured from the smaller balance, so the climb back is always steeper than the fall. Keeping each loss small is what keeps the recovery reachable.
For education and planning. Results are estimates that leave out taxes and may leave out fees and slippage. Not investment advice. Check the numbers against your broker before you trade.
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<p style="font-size:13px">Percentage Gain Calculator by <a href="https://stocksetups.com/tools/percentage-gain-calculator">StockSetups</a></p>How it works
Percent change — (new − old) ÷ old — is the common language of the market: your gain or loss, how far a stock has run off a level, or how big a gap is. Working in percent instead of dollars lets you compare a $3 move on a $20 stock against a $30 move on a $400 one.
The loss-recovery side is the part most traders underestimate. Gains and losses aren't symmetric: a 20% loss needs a 25% gain to break even, a 33% loss needs 50%, and a 50% loss needs a 100% gain. That asymmetry — the math of (loss ÷ (100 − loss)) — is the whole argument for cutting losers early and keeping each loss small.
It's also why StockSetups attaches a stop to every setup. A defined stop caps the drawdown before it reaches the zone where the recovery math turns brutal.
Frequently asked
How do you calculate percentage gain?
Percentage gain = (new price − old price) ÷ old price × 100. A move from $50 to $57 is (57 − 50) ÷ 50 = 14%. A negative result is a percentage loss.
Why does a 50% loss need a 100% gain to recover?
Because the gain is measured against the smaller, post-loss balance. Lose 50% of $100 and you have $50; getting back to $100 from $50 is a 100% gain. The formula is gain needed = loss ÷ (100 − loss).
What percent gain does a stock need to reach a target price?
Use (target − current) ÷ current × 100. A stock at $190 needs (625 − 190) ÷ 190 = about 229% to reach $625. Enter the current price as old and the target as new.
If I lose 24%, how much do I need to gain back?
About 31.6%. The formula is loss ÷ (100 − loss), so 24 ÷ 76 = 0.316. The bigger the loss, the faster the required gain climbs.
How much do I need to gain to recover a 20% loss?
About 25%. A 20% drawdown leaves you at 80% of your starting value, and 20 ÷ (100 − 20) = 25%, so you need a 25% gain to get back to break-even.
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