How to Calculate Return on Investment (ROI)

Return on Investment, or ROI, is the ratio for determining profitability. This lets businesses determine how much profit they are receiving (or how much cost they are saving) for a given investment.

Functions vary depending on factors specific to the business, but the basic formula is:

ROI=(Gains-Costs)/Costs ×100

For example, you loan a friend $50. If he pays you back $55, then your return on investment would be calculated as follows:

ROI =  ($55 – $50)/$50 × 100  =.1 ×100   = 10%

The return on your investment was 10%.