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Cost Per Share

an essential metric for investors, particularly when tracking and evaluating the performance of their investment portfolios.

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Written by Support
Updated over 11 months ago

On platforms like Dividend Data, you can track Cost Per Share for your investments. This helps you make informed investment decisions.

Definition:

Cost Per Share represents the average price at which shares of a particular stock are purchased, including any brokerage fees or transaction costs. It's a key metric for determining the profitability and performance of individual stock investments within a portfolio.

Importance of Tracking Cost Per Share

  1. Investment Performance Evaluation: Helps investors assess how their stock purchases have performed relative to current market prices.

  2. Informed Decision Making: Provides a basis for making future investment decisions, such as whether to buy more, hold, or sell.

  3. Tax Implications: In many jurisdictions, Cost Per Share is crucial for calculating capital gains or losses for tax purposes.

Calculating Cost Per Share

The formula for calculating Cost Per Share is:

Cost Per Share = Total Amount Invested / Total Shares Purchased

Factors Influencing Cost Per Share

  1. Purchase Price Variability: Buying shares at different prices over time will affect the average cost per share.

  2. Transaction Costs: Including brokerage fees and other costs in the calculation provides a more accurate measure of investment costs.

  3. Dividend Reinvestment: If dividends are reinvested to purchase additional shares, this can also impact the average cost per share.

Cost Per Share and Investment Strategy

  • Understanding the cost per share can guide strategies such as dollar-cost averaging, where investors buy a fixed dollar amount of a particular stock on a regular schedule.

Analyzing Cost Per Share in Context

  1. Comparison with Current Market Price: Comparing the cost per share to the current market price can help determine unrealized gains or losses.

  2. Portfolio Diversification: Assessing cost per share across different investments aids in maintaining a balanced and diversified portfolio.

  3. Historical Cost Analysis: Tracking the cost per share over time can offer insights into the timing and effectiveness of investment decisions.

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