What is Return on Investment (ROI) (2024)

Return on investment (ROI) is the broadest measure of profitability used by shareholders to gauge how efficiently and effectively the managers of the business are using their money. Shareholders typically compare the ROI they get from their investment to other companies in the same industry and also other industries. Then, they can decide whether to increase, decrease or hold their current level of ownership.

ROI is calculated by dividing a company’s net income (earnings after tax) by total investments (total invested capital) and multiplying the result by100.

(Earnings after tax (EAT) / Total invested capital) x 100

Many operating activities influence ROI including sales volumes, sales dollars and expenses as well as non-operating activities—how the managers utilize the company’s capital and assets.

Because ROI is a broad measure of profitability, analysts and owners often supplement it with other calculations to get deeper insights such as:

More about return on investment (ROI)

The example below shows how ROI is calculated when ABC Company’s earnings after tax equal $20,000 and its total invested capital is $300,000:

(20,000 / 300,000) x 100 = 6.7%

So the company’s ROI is 6.7%.

Earnings after tax appear on the company’s income statement. Total invested capital appears on the balance sheet.

What is Return on Investment (ROI) (1)

What is Return on Investment (ROI) (2024)

FAQs

What is the return on investment ROI? ›

Return on investment (ROI) is an approximate measure of an investment's profitability. ROI is calculated by subtracting the initial cost of the investment from its final value, then dividing this new number by the cost of the investment, and finally, multiplying it by 100. ROI has a wide range of uses.

What does an ROI of 20% mean? ›

ROI (return on investment) is a measure of the profitability of an investment. An example of ROI would be if you invested $1,000 in a business venture and after one year, you received $1,200 in profits, your ROI would be 20%.

What is ROI for dummies? ›

ROI is a calculation of the monetary value of an investment versus its cost. The ROI formula is: (profit minus cost) / cost. If you made $10,000 from a $1,000 effort, your return on investment (ROI) would be 0.9, or 90%. This can be also usually obtained through an investment calculator.

What ROI is a good investment? ›

General ROI: A positive ROI is generally considered good, with a normal ROI of 5-7% often seen as a reasonable expectation. However, a strong general ROI is something greater than 10%. Return on Stocks: On average, a ROI of 7% after inflation is often considered good, based on the historical returns of the market.

Is 7% a good ROI? ›

A good return on investment is generally considered to be around 7% per year, based on the average historic return of the S&P 500 index, adjusted for inflation. The average return of the U.S. stock market is around 10% per year, adjusted for inflation, dating back to the late 1920s.

Is 10% return on investment realistic? ›

Usually the implication is that they can expect, over a long time, a 10% return. Fortunately some ask, with some doubt, "Is a 10% return really reasonable?" It is not. While the average growth or return in the market (e.g., the S&P 500) is about 10%*, investors over time do not see that.

Is 30% a good ROI? ›

Is 30% Good ROI? An ROI of 30% can be good, but it can depend on how long your ROI has been at 30% in previous years. A 1-year ROI of 20% compared to 3-years of a 30% ROI can be considered a better investment.

Is 80% ROI good? ›

Return on Investment (ROI)

This calculation works for any period, but there is a risk in evaluating long-term investment returns with ROI. That's because an ROI of 80% sounds impressive for a five-year investment but less impressive for a 35-year investment.

What are the disadvantages of ROI? ›

Disadvantages of ROI

Traditional ROI calculations do not take into account the time value of money, which could impact the profitability of an investment. ROI may overlook non-financial factors such as brand reputation, social impact, or customer satisfaction, which could influence the overall success of an investment.

Does ROI mean profit? ›

How Do You Calculate Return on Investment (ROI)? Return on investment (ROI) is calculated by dividing the profit earned on an investment by the cost of that investment. For instance, an investment with a profit of $100 and a cost of $100 would have an ROI of 1, or 100% when expressed as a percentage.

What are good examples of ROI? ›

For example, if you've generated $100,000 in profit from $10,000 in assets, your company's ROI is 10, or 1,000%.

What state has the highest ROI? ›

In-Depth Look at the States With the Best Taxpayer ROI
  • New Hampshire. New Hampshire is the state with the best taxpayer return on investment, which is due in large part to the fact that it has no state income tax. ...
  • Florida. ...
  • South Dakota.
Mar 19, 2024

How much do I need to invest to make $1000 a month? ›

A stock portfolio focused on dividends can generate $1,000 per month or more in perpetual passive income, Mircea Iosif wrote on Medium. “For example, at a 4% dividend yield, you would need a portfolio worth $300,000.

How much money do I need to invest to make $3,000 a month? ›

Imagine you wish to amass $3000 monthly from your investments, amounting to $36,000 annually. If you park your funds in a savings account offering a 2% annual interest rate, you'd need to inject roughly $1.8 million into the account.

What is the safest investment with the highest return? ›

These seven low-risk but potentially high-return investment options can get the job done:
  • Money market funds.
  • Dividend stocks.
  • Bank certificates of deposit.
  • Annuities.
  • Bond funds.
  • High-yield savings accounts.
  • 60/40 mix of stocks and bonds.
May 13, 2024

Is 3.5% ROI good? ›

What is a good ROI? While the term good is subjective, many professionals consider a good ROI to be 10.5% or greater for investments in stocks. This number is the standard because it's the average return of the S&P 500 , an index that serves as a benchmark of the overall performance of the U.S. stock market.

Is 30% ROI good? ›

Is 30% Good ROI? An ROI of 30% can be good, but it can depend on how long your ROI has been at 30% in previous years. A 1-year ROI of 20% compared to 3-years of a 30% ROI can be considered a better investment.

How do you calculate %ROI? ›

How Do You Calculate Return on Investment (ROI)? Return on investment (ROI) is calculated by dividing the profit earned on an investment by the cost of that investment. For instance, an investment with a profit of $100 and a cost of $100 would have an ROI of 1, or 100% when expressed as a percentage.

Is 12% ROI good? ›

Most investors would view an average annual rate of return of 10% or more as a good ROI for long-term investments in the stock market. However, keep in mind that this is an average.

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Rubie Ullrich

Last Updated:

Views: 6619

Rating: 4.1 / 5 (72 voted)

Reviews: 87% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Rubie Ullrich

Birthday: 1998-02-02

Address: 743 Stoltenberg Center, Genovevaville, NJ 59925-3119

Phone: +2202978377583

Job: Administration Engineer

Hobby: Surfing, Sailing, Listening to music, Web surfing, Kitesurfing, Geocaching, Backpacking

Introduction: My name is Rubie Ullrich, I am a enthusiastic, perfect, tender, vivacious, talented, famous, delightful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.