Bought In at Different Prices? Find Your Real Average Cost
Few investors buy a stock all at once. You add shares on dips, average up on strength, or dollar-cost average over months, and each purchase happens at a different price. The problem is that your true cost basis isn't your first buy price or your most recent one, it's the weighted average of every share you own. Without tracking that number, it's easy to misjudge whether a position is actually profitable or to sell at a price that looks like a gain but isn't once every lot is counted.
This calculator lets you enter up to two purchase lots (price and share count for each) along with the current market price. It combines them into your total shares, weighted average cost basis, and total cost, then compares that against current value to show your real unrealized gain or loss in both dollars and percent. It's a quick way to sanity-check your position before adding to it or deciding to sell.
This tool shows gross gain or loss only, based purely on price. It does not include broker commissions, wash sale adjustments, or capital gains tax, all of which can affect your actual realized return. For tax planning, pair this with a capital gains tax calculator and consult a tax professional for your specific situation.
Frequently Asked Questions
When you buy the same stock at different prices over time, your true cost basis is the weighted average of all those purchases, not any single price. That average is what determines your real gain or loss.
Most brokerage apps do show an unrealized gain figure, but manually tracking lots helps you plan additional purchases through dollar-cost averaging or decide which lots to sell strategically.
No, this calculator shows your gross gain or loss based on price alone. Use a dedicated capital gains tax calculator to estimate taxes owed, and remember broker commissions may reduce your actual return.