Fund NAV total return.

Net Asset Value (NAV) is the per-unit value of a mutual fund or ETF. Total return = (NAV change + distributions) / starting NAV. 100 NAV → 108 NAV + 2 distributions = (8 + 2) / 100 = 10% total return. Important to use total return for fair comparison - NAV-only return excludes income payments.

Example: bought fund at 50 NAV. One year later: NAV 52, paid 1.50 in distributions (dividends + capital gain distributions). NAV return = 4%. Distribution yield = 3%. Total return = 7%. The fund factsheet headline NAV change of 4% understates true return by nearly half.

NAV calculation: (Total assets - liabilities) / shares outstanding. Updated daily for mutual funds (after market close), continuously for ETFs (real-time intraday). NAV vs market price: mutual funds always trade at NAV. ETFs trade close to NAV but can have small premium/discount due to supply/demand. Closed-end funds can trade at significant premium/discount to NAV - opportunity for value investors.

Run it with sensible defaults

Using starting nav of 50, ending nav of 52, distributions per unit of 1.5, the calculation works out to 7.00%. Nudge the inputs toward your own situation and the output recalculates instantly. The defaults are meant as a starting point, not a recommendation.

The levers in this calculation

The inputs — Starting NAV, Ending NAV, and Distributions Per Unit — do not pull with equal force. Not every input has equal weight. Flip one at a time toward extreme values to feel which ones move the needle most for your situation.

How the math works

Total return = (NAV change + distributions) / starting NAV. The working is transparent — you can verify every step yourself in the formula section below. No black box, no opaque "proprietary model".

Why investors run this

Most people's intuition for compounding is wrong — not because the math is hard, but because linear thinking doesn't account for curves. Running numbers through a calculator like this one is the cheapest way to recalibrate that intuition before making an irreversible decision about contribution rate, asset mix, or retirement age.

What this doesn't capture

Steady-rate math ignores real-world volatility. Actual returns are lumpy; sequence-of-returns risk matters most in drawdown; fees and taxes drag on compound growth; and behaviour changes in drawdowns can reduce outcomes below the projection. Treat the number as one scenario, not a forecast.