Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Calculator
Your Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) will appear here.
Understanding Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)
The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) is a financial metric that measures the average annual rate of return of an investment over a specified period of time, assuming that profits are reinvested at the end of each year. It's a way to smooth out volatility and understand the growth trajectory of an investment as if it grew at a steady rate each year.
Why is CAGR Important?
- Consistency: CAGR provides a single, smoothed-out rate that represents the growth over time, making it easier to compare investments with different volatility patterns.
- Forecasting: It can be used to project future values of an investment based on its historical performance.
- Performance Evaluation: CAGR is a valuable tool for evaluating the performance of an investment, a business, or a portfolio over multiple periods.
How to Calculate CAGR
The formula for CAGR is:
CAGR = ((Ending Value / Beginning Value) ^ (1 / Number of Years)) – 1
Where:
- Ending Value: The value of the investment at the end of the period.
- Beginning Value: The value of the investment at the beginning of the period.
- Number of Years: The total number of years over which the investment grew.
Example Calculation
Let's say you invested $10,000 in a stock at the beginning of 2018. By the end of 2022 (a period of 5 years), your investment has grown to $25,000. To calculate the CAGR:
- Beginning Value = $10,000
- Ending Value = $25,000
- Number of Years = 5
Using the formula:
CAGR = (($25,000 / $10,000) ^ (1 / 5)) – 1
CAGR = (2.5 ^ 0.2) – 1
CAGR = 1.2011 – 1
CAGR = 0.2011 or 20.11%
This means your investment grew at an average annual rate of approximately 20.11% over the 5-year period.
Limitations of CAGR
While useful, CAGR doesn't show the year-to-year volatility of an investment. An investment might have had large swings but ended up with a high CAGR, or it might have grown steadily. It's often best used in conjunction with other metrics to get a complete picture.