Interpretation
How to Read the Yearly Breakdown Table
The yearly table turns daily price history into calendar year snapshots so you can see the ride year by year. Use it to spot strong and rough years, not to predict the future.
Published: December 26, 2025 · Updated: December 26, 2025 · By FinToolSuite Editorial
Disclaimer
- Educational purposes only, not financial advice.
- Examples are illustrative; results depend on your inputs and assumptions.
- Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results.
- See the Privacy Policy for data handling details.
Open the Investment History Checker
Run your dates, then read the yearly table next to the chart and drawdown metrics.
Quick answer
- Each row is one calendar year inside your chosen date range.
- Start and end prices show the year move.
- Profit is the price change in currency units.
- Return percent is the percent change for that year.
- Scan for big positive years and big negative years to see concentration.
What the table is summarising
The table uses your start and end dates, groups prices into calendar years, and shows the start and end points for each year in that window. If your start or end date lands mid-year, those rows are partial years.
Year
This is the calendar year label for the row. If your window starts mid-year, the first year is partial. Tip: check if the first and last rows are partial before comparing them to full years.
Start date and end date
These mark the first and last trading day included for that year within your window. Misread: thinking they always align with January 1 and December 31—partial years can differ. Tip: confirm the dates before interpreting the size of the move.
Start price and end price
Start price is the first price in that year within your window; end price is the last. Misread: assuming these are adjusted for dividends if the source is price-only. Tip: check whether dividends are included in your data source.
Profit
Profit is end price minus start price in currency terms for that year. Misread: thinking profit scales across tickers without context. Tip: use it for a quick sense of size but compare percent for fairness.
Return percent
Return percent is profit divided by start price for that year. Misread: adding yearly percents to get total return. Tip: yearly returns compound; look at total return and CAGR for the whole window.
Illustrative sample table
| Year | Start price | End price | Profit | Return percent |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 100 | 110 | 10 | 10% |
| 2022 | 110 | 90 | -20 | -18.2% |
| 2023 | 90 | 120 | 30 | 33.3% |
| 2024 | 120 | 125 | 5 | 4.2% |
Illustrative only; enter your own dates in the tool.
Profit vs return percent
Profit is the numeric difference (end price minus start price). Return percent standardises by start price. For example, profit of 10 on start price 50 is a 20% return; profit of 10 on start price 200 is a 5% return.
Spotting concentrated gains
- If a few years account for most gains, results are concentrated.
- Check whether recovery took many years after a big drop.
- Compare to the chart to see the path and drawdowns.
See how to pair the table with visuals in how to read the investment growth chart.
Best year and worst year
Best year is the highest yearly return percent; worst year is the lowest. One calendar year can dominate headlines, but look at the rest to understand consistency.
Read more in best and worst year explained.
Common misreads and quick fixes
- Treating partial first or last year like a full year.
- Confusing profit with percent return.
- Comparing rows across different currencies.
- Assuming yearly returns add up linearly to total return.
- Ignoring dividends and fees if excluded.
- Assuming the yearly table includes intraday swings.
- Focusing only on best year.
- Ignoring worst year.
- Thinking the table predicts the next year.
- Comparing different tickers with different date windows.
Avoid more pitfalls in Investment History Checker common mistakes.
Practical checklist
- Scan the worst years first.
- Count how many years were negative.
- Look for a single outsize year.
- Open the chart to see the path.
- Rerun with a second window.
FAQ preview
Why is the first year short?
It is partial if your start date begins mid-year; it still shows the change from your start date to that year-end.
Why does profit look small but return percent large?
A small currency gain on a low start price can be a high percent return.
Do yearly returns include dividends?
Yearly returns are usually price-based unless noted; check the tool notes for your data source.
How is best year calculated?
It is the highest yearly return percent within your selected window.
Where can I export the yearly table?
Use the export options in the Investment History Checker to download the yearly breakdown.
More answers: common mistakes and reading the chart.
Read your own yearly table
Run your dates, scan the best and worst years, and compare the chart and drawdown for context.