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Breakeven Calculator - Calculate Recovery Price

Calculate price needed to recover from losses. Determine breakeven points to plan recovery strategy effectively.

Breakeven Price

₹100.00

Gain Needed

25.00%

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Disclaimer

This calculator is for informational and educational purposes only. It does not constitute financial or investment advice. Consult with a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.

What is Breakeven Calculator - Calculate Recovery Price?

A Breakeven Calculator helps traders determine the price level at which they need to sell to recover from a loss and return to their original capital. When a stock falls by a certain percentage, it needs to gain MORE than that percentage to break even due to mathematical principles. For example, a 50% loss requires a 100% gain to break even. This calculator shows you the exact percentage gain needed and target price to recover from any loss. Understanding breakeven math is crucial for realistic profit targets and avoiding revenge trading.

How to Use This Calculator

  1. Enter your original purchase price per share
  2. Input the current market price (lower than purchase price)
  3. View the loss percentage from peak
  4. See the gain percentage required to break even
  5. Check the target breakeven price
  6. Use this to set realistic recovery expectations

Formula Used

Breakeven Calculation Formulas: 1. Loss Percentage = [(Purchase Price - Current Price) / Purchase Price] × 100 2. Required Gain % = [1 / (1 - Loss%)] - 1 OR Required Gain % = (Loss% / (100 - Loss%)) × 100 3. Breakeven Price = Current Price × (1 + Required Gain%) OR Breakeven Price = Purchase Price (by definition) Asymmetry Table: Loss % | Required Gain % | Ratio 10% | 11.11% | 1.11x 20% | 25% | 1.25x 30% | 42.86% | 1.43x 40% | 66.67% | 1.67x 50% | 100% | 2.00x 60% | 150% | 2.50x 70% | 233% | 3.33x 80% | 400% | 5.00x 90% | 900% | 10.00x Key Insight: The larger the loss, the exponentially harder it is to recover!

Example Calculation

Example 1: Small Loss Recovery Purchase Price: ₹1,000 Current Price: ₹900 Loss: 10% Calculation: - Current Loss: (₹1,000 - ₹900) / ₹1,000 = 10% - Required Gain: 10% / (100% - 10%) = 11.11% - Breakeven Price: ₹900 × 1.1111 = ₹1,000 Result: Need 11.11% gain (not just 10%) to recover 10% loss. Example 2: Moderate Loss (Common Scenario) Purchase Price: ₹500 Current Price: ₹350 Loss: 30% Calculation: - Current Loss: ₹150 (30%) - Required Gain: 30% / 70% = 42.86% - Breakeven Price: ₹350 × 1.4286 = ₹500 Result: Stock needs to rally 43% just to break even! Example 3: Large Loss (Avoid This!) Purchase Price: ₹1,000 Current Price: ₹500 Loss: 50% Calculation: - Current Loss: ₹500 (50%) - Required Gain: 50% / 50% = 100% - Breakeven Price: ₹500 × 2 = ₹1,000 Result: Stock must DOUBLE (100% gain) just to break even. This is why stop losses are critical! Example 4: Catastrophic Loss Purchase Price: ₹1,000 Current Price: ₹200 Loss: 80% Calculation: - Current Loss: ₹800 (80%) - Required Gain: 80% / 20% = 400% - Breakeven Price: ₹200 × 5 = ₹1,000 Result: Stock needs 5x gain (400%) to recover. Nearly impossible. This shows importance of cutting losses early. Practical Comparison: If you lose 50% on ₹1L investment (now ₹50K): - To break even, ₹50K needs to become ₹1L (100% gain) - If you instead invested that ₹50K fresh in good stock giving 20% annually, you'd break even in 4 years - Time and opportunity cost makes recovery harder than it seems!

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does a 50% loss require a 100% gain to break even?

Math asymmetry! If you have ₹1,000 and lose 50%, you have ₹500. To get back to ₹1,000, you need ₹500 gain, which is 100% of your current ₹500 capital. The percentage is calculated on a smaller base after loss. This is why even 'small' 20-30% losses are serious - they need 25-43% gains to recover.

At what loss percentage should I cut my losses?

Professional traders typically use 5-10% stop loss for swing trades, 2-3% for day trades. Once loss exceeds 20%, recovery becomes challenging (needs 25% gain). Beyond 30% loss, you're in deep trouble (needs 43% gain). Never let losses exceed 20-25%. Better to take small loss and redeploy capital in better opportunity than hold hoping for recovery.

Should I average down to reduce breakeven price?

Only if: 1) Original thesis still valid, 2) Stock fell due to market, not fundamentals, 3) You have capital available, 4) You're not violating position sizing rules. Averaging down reduces breakeven price but increases total exposure. Example: Bought 100 @ ₹500, now ₹400. Buy 100 more @ ₹400, your average is ₹450, but you've doubled exposure. Risky if stock continues falling.

How long does it typically take to recover from a 30% loss?

Depends on returns: At 10% annual, needs ~4 years. At 15% annual, ~2.5 years. At 20% annual, ~1.8 years. But remember opportunity cost - that capital could earn returns elsewhere. Often better to cut loss, invest in growing stock. Example: ₹100K down 30% = ₹70K. Hold 3 years to recover to ₹100K OR invest ₹70K in stock giving 20% for 3 years = ₹121K.

Are there tax implications for booking loss and re-entering?

Yes! Benefits of booking losses: 1) Can offset gains for tax reduction, 2) Releases capital for better opportunities, 3) Resets psychology. In India, you can offset short-term losses against short-term gains, long-term against long-term. Carry forward losses for 8 years. Sometimes it's better to book loss for tax benefit than hold hoping for recovery.

What's the mathematical formula for averaging down?

New Average = [(Qty1 × Price1) + (Qty2 × Price2)] / (Qty1 + Qty2). Example: 100 shares @ ₹500, add 100 @ ₹400: Average = [(100 × 500) + (100 × 400)] / 200 = ₹450. New breakeven is ₹450 (not ₹500), but total exposure doubled from ₹50K to ₹90K. Use cautiously!

How do professional traders handle large drawdowns?

They rarely face them due to strict stop losses! Pros: 1) Never let single trade lose >2%, 2) Exit if down 5-7% from portfolio peak, 3) Reduce position sizes after losses, 4) Don't try to 'make back' losses quickly. If 20% drawdown occurs, they reduce trading size by 50% until recovering to -10%, then gradually normalize. Discipline prevents large losses.

Is it better to hold or sell a stock at 40% loss?

Evaluate honestly: 1) Is company fundamentally broken? (Sell immediately), 2) Temporary market overreaction? (Consider holding if thesis intact), 3) Do you have better opportunities? (Opportunity cost of holding). Remember: 40% loss needs 66.67% gain to recover. Ask yourself: Will this stock give 67% gain faster than others can give 20-30%? Usually answer is 'no' - cut loss, move on.

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