We help keep track of gains and losses, so you always know how your investments are performing.
Unrealized gains
The gains and losses shown on the M1 Finance platform are the unrealized gains from owning the individual holding or portfolio.
An unrealized gain or loss is a profit or loss that exists on paper, resulting from your investments. A gain/loss becomes realized once the position is sold for a profit/loss.
Formulas
Unrealized Gain/ Loss = Value of Investment - Cost of Investment
Unrealized Gain/Loss % = (Value of Investment - Cost of Investment) / Cost of Investment
Total gains
Total gain is a combination of all capital gains and dividends earned.
Capital gains
Capital gains are the increase or decrease in value of your investment. Capital gains are either unrealized or realized.
An unrealized capital gain is a position in a stock or fund that has yet to be sold. A realized capital gain is the profit or loss experienced when a position has been both bought and sold.
Example:
| Date | Activity | Share price | Shares owned | Value | Realized gain | Unrealized gain | Capital gain |
| April 1 | Bought share | $110 | 1 | $110 | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| May 1 | No activity | $115 | 1 | $115 | $0 | $5 | $5 |
| June 1 | Sold share | $120 | 0 | $0 | $10 | $0 | $10 |
Dividends
Dividends are interval cash payments made by companies to their current shareholders. Learn more about dividends in your account.