Trading & Investing
Cost and proceeds
The two sides of the trade before fees.
The Formula
Cost = Shares x Buy; Proceeds = Shares x Sell
The two sides of the trade before fees.
| Symbol | Meaning | Unit | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| n | Shares | count | Number of shares traded. |
| B | Buy price | currency | Price paid per share. |
| S | Sell price | currency | Price received per share. |
What Each Symbol Means
ncount
Shares
Number of shares traded.
Bcurrency
Buy price
Price paid per share.
Scurrency
Sell price
Price received per share.
See It Worked With Real Numbers
A formula on its own does not tell you which number goes where. The how to calculate stock profit page applies this equation to a concrete case, shows every intermediate step, and names the mistakes that produce a wrong answer even when the algebra is right.
Where This Formula Appears
This equation is the working core of How To Calculate Stock Profit, filed under Finance. Every number the guide produces comes from substituting into this one line.