What the calculation includes
Purchase fees are a percentage of the purchase amount; sale fees are a percentage of the sale amount. Holding and other costs are entered once as totals for the entire period. Do not enter a cost twice. Minimum charges, tiered fees, borrowing costs and taxes require separate treatment; this simplified calculator does not model them automatically.
Formula and a worked example
Total paid = purchase × (1 + purchase fee / 100) + holding + other costs. Net sale = sale × (1 − sale fee / 100). Net result = net sale − total paid. Break-even sale = total paid ÷ (1 − sale fee / 100).
Example in USD: buy 10,000, sell 11,000, fees 1% each, holding 100, other costs 0. Total paid is 10,200; net sale is 10,890; profit is 690; break-even sale is approximately 10,303.03. The 6.76% result is for this whole transaction, not per year. These are illustrative inputs, not an EXAM offer or forecast.
What the result cannot tell you
A positive result does not show whether the sale price is achievable, a buyer exists, assets can be recovered or a counterparty will pay. Verify those conditions separately. Use one currency throughout and independently confirm any tax or currency calculations.
Further reading
These educational references do not imply that EXAM is registered with or endorsed by the source organisations.