Loss recovery calculator
Losses and gains are not symmetric: a 50% loss needs a 100% gain to recover. Enter your loss to see the numbers.
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Processing and privacy: The result is calculated inside your browser and your data is not sent to any server.
How to use it
- Enter loss, amount before the loss (optional) and expected annual return (optional).
- The result appears straight away and updates as you edit.
- Copy the result, or copy a link that keeps the same values to share it.
How it is calculated
Required gain = loss ÷ (100 - loss) × 100. Years = ln(100 ÷ (100 - loss)) ÷ ln(1 + annual return ÷ 100).
Example
Inputs: Loss = 20 %, Amount before the loss (optional) = 10,000. Result: Gain needed to recover: 25%; Value after the loss: 8,000.00; Amount to gain back: 2,000.00.
Limits and caveats
- The years figure assumes a steady return compounded yearly with no new money added.
- Fees and taxes are not included.
Questions about this tool
Why does a loss need a bigger gain to recover?
The gain is earned on the smaller amount left. After a 20% loss on 10000 you have 8000, and getting 2000 back from that takes 25%.
What about a 100% loss?
If everything is lost, no percentage gain can bring it back, so the input must be below 100.
Can I use it for a market index drop?
Yes, enter how far the index fell from its peak to see the rise needed to get back there.