Handeware
Investing

Gain needed

66.7%
Amount after the loss
$6,000
Amount to win back
$4,000

This is arithmetic for general information, not financial advice.

Loss Recovery Calculator

When an amount falls, it needs a bigger percentage gain to return to where it began. A 50% drop needs a 100% gain. This page shows that gap for any loss.

How it works

After a loss, the new amount is the starting amount times one minus the loss. The gain needed is the loss divided by the share left after it, so a 40% loss needs a gain of 40 divided by 60.

The gain is measured from the lower amount, not the original one. That is why a loss and a gain of the same percentage never cancel out.

Worked example

A starting amount of $10,000.00 that drops by 40% is left with $6,000. It takes a gain of 66.7% to get back to $10,000.00, which is $4,000 more.

Questions

Why is the gain bigger than the loss?

The gain starts from a smaller amount. Each percent gained is a percent of what is left, not of what was there before.

What if the loss is very large?

The gain needed climbs quickly. At a 90% loss the gain needed is 900%, so the numbers grow fast as losses get deeper.

Does this count fees or taxes?

No. It works only on the amount you enter, so add any fees or taxes to the figures yourself.

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