Mr Calcu | Discover how fast your investment grew annually with our easy CAGR calculator — make smarter financial decisions today.

Effortlessly calculate your CAGR and unlock smarter investment decisions. Discover growth trends and make confident financial moves today.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) Calculator

CAGR Calculator Guidelines

Ready to see your returns clearly? Just follow these steps:

How to Use the Calculator

  • Step 1: Enter the starting value of your investment.
  • Step 2: Input the final value after the investment period.
  • Step 3: Specify the number of years (you can use decimal values like 2.5).
  • Step 4: Click 'Calculate' to compute CAGR.

Important Tips

  • Ensure values are positive and time duration is greater than zero.
  • Use CAGR to compare investments across varying durations.
  • For volatile investments, consider supplementing CAGR with standard deviation or max drawdown metrics.

CAGR Calculator Description

What is Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR)?

The Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) represents the constant annual growth rate of an investment assuming compounding. It helps measure the performance of an asset or portfolio over time.

Why Use CAGR?

  • It smooths out fluctuations by showing a consistent annual return.
  • Ideal for comparing performance across multiple investments.
  • Commonly used in finance, business, and investment analysis.

Formula for CAGR

CAGR = (Ending Value / Beginning Value)^(1 / n) - 1

Where:

  • Beginning Value: The initial amount invested
  • Ending Value: The final investment amount
  • n: The number of years

Formula Derivation

Ending Value = Beginning Value × (1 + r)^n
Solving for r gives: r = (Ending / Beginning)^(1/n) - 1

Real-World Examples

Case Study 1: Angel Investment

  • Investment: $25,000
  • Value after 6 years: $120,000
CAGR = (120000 / 25000)^(1/6) - 1 ≈ 30.62%

Case Study 2: College Fund

  • Investment: $10,000
  • Value after 18 years: $38,000
CAGR = (38000 / 10000)^(1/18) - 1 ≈ 7.78%

Edge Cases to Watch

  • Zero Duration (n = 0): Undefined CAGR — division by zero.
  • Negative Duration: Invalid — time cannot be negative.
  • Zero or Negative Starting Value: Cannot divide by zero or use negative base.
  • Zero or Negative Ending Value: Returns -100% for zero; negative values must be interpreted case-by-case.
  • Fractional Years: Supported — enter partial years like 2.75.

Take control of your financial future — calculate your CAGR now and make confident investment decisions!

Example Calculation

Example Calculation

CaseStartEndYearsCAGR
Standard Growth$10,000$38,000187.78%
High Return$25,000$120,000630.62%
Zero Growth$5,000$5,00050.00%
Negative Growth$10,000$7,0003-11.47%
Total Loss$15,000$04-100.00%
Fractional Years$1,000$1,2000.537.97%

Note: Negative or zero returns are valid but must be interpreted within context.

Frequently Asked Questions

CAGR stands for Compound Annual Growth Rate, a measure of an investment's annual growth rate over a specified period, assuming compounding.

CAGR helps investors evaluate the performance of their investments by providing a smoothed average annual rate of return.

CAGR does not reflect volatility or risk. It gives a smoothed rate of return, which may mask interim losses or gains.

Average annual return is an arithmetic mean and may not account for compounding. CAGR, being geometric, provides a more accurate growth rate.

CAGR is undefined when the beginning value is zero because division by zero is mathematically invalid.

Yes, as long as you express the period as a fraction of a year (e.g., 0.5 for six months).

CAGR is most accurate for steady, compounding growth. For investments with irregular cash flows or high volatility, internal rate of return (IRR) may be more appropriate.

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