Stock Profit Goal Calculator

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Work Backwards From Your Target

Instead of asking "how much will I make if I sell at X?", this calculator answers the reverse: "what price do I need to sell at to make Y%?" It accounts for brokerage fees on both sides of the trade and capital gains tax, so the target sell price it returns is a real net figure — not a gross one that looks better than it is.

How to Use This Calculator

  • Buy Price & Shares — your entry price per share and the size of your position.
  • Brokerage Fee — flat fee per transaction, charged at buy and at sell.
  • Target Return % — the net percentage gain you want to walk away with after all costs.
  • Capital Gains Tax % — your tax rate on the profit. Use 0 for tax-sheltered accounts.

The result is the exact sell price you need to hit your goal. Use it to set a realistic price alert or limit order in your broker.

Frequently Asked Questions

This depends on your strategy and holding period. Short-term traders often target 3–10%. Long-term investors may target 20–50% or more over months or years. Always factor in fees and taxes — this calculator does that automatically.
A standard profit calculator tells you how much you make at a given sell price. This calculator works in reverse — you set your target return percentage and it tells you the exact sell price you need to reach that goal after fees and taxes.
Yes. The sell price this calculator returns is exactly the value you should enter as a price alert or limit order in your broker to lock in your target return net of all costs.

Worked Example

Tom bought 100 shares of META at $520 and paid a $9.99 brokerage commission. He wants a 20% net return after a 15% capital gains tax. He doesn't want to guess at a target — he wants the exact sell price that gets him there.

Buy price $520
Shares 100
Commission (each way) $9.99
Target return (after tax) 20%
Tax rate 15%
Required sell price $642.58
Try it with your own numbers →