How this calculation works
Include the entry fee in the initial outlay. Add cash dividends to final sale proceeds after the exit fee. Compare that net result with the complete initial outlay, while showing dividend yield separately.
Total return = (net sale proceeds + cash dividends − entry outlay) / entry outlay × 100%A worked example
100 shares bought at ₹100 with ₹100 entry fee cost ₹10,100. Selling at ₹110 with ₹100 exit fee and receiving ₹5 dividend per share gives net profit ₹1,300 and holding-period return about 12.871287%.
Good to know
Unchanged share count, cash dividends and one sale. No reinvestment, tax/TDS, corporate actions, leverage, exchange conversion or annualization. The dividend input covers the whole holding period; it is not a forecast.
Reference: OpenStax: income, capital gains and total return (opens in a new tab) ↗
Cash income and price change both contribute
The default purchase costs ₹10,100 including its entry fee. Net sale proceeds are ₹10,900, and cash dividends contribute ₹500. Total receipts ₹11,400 minus the outlay leave ₹1,300 profit, or approximately 12.871287% of the initial outlay.
Dividend yield uses a narrower denominator here: total dividend per share divided by the entry price before fees. It describes one income component, while the holding-period total return also includes price change and both entered fees.
The ROI calculator compares net gain with cost. This page additionally separates cash dividends, sale proceeds and the entry and exit fees.
A positive dividend does not prevent a loss
If the sale price falls enough, the capital loss can exceed the dividends. Fees can also turn a small gross gain into a net loss. The cash-component table keeps those sources separate instead of presenting the income yield as the whole return.
The ROI calculator handles a simpler gain-to-cost relationship. The CAGR calculator annualizes an endpoint growth factor under its own assumptions; this page deliberately leaves the actual holding period unannualized.
Keep the share count and income basis consistent
The form assumes the same share count from purchase through sale. Stock splits, bonus shares, rights issues, partial sales and reinvested dividends need their actual cash and share changes; they are not silently inferred here.
Enter the total cash dividend per share for the whole period. Taxes, TDS, foreign exchange and reinvestment are excluded. An observed past dividend also does not establish a future dividend or a promised income rate.
A few questions, answered
Can total return be negative while dividend yield is positive?
Yes. A price decline and fees may outweigh cash income.
Are dividends reinvested?
No. They remain cash receipts and do not buy additional shares.
Is the result an annual return?
No. It covers the entered purchase-to-sale period without annualization.