Understanding the Capital Gain Figure on the Portfolio Page

This article explains what the Capital Gain figure on the Portfolio page means, what it includes, and why it may differ from other capital gains figures in Navexa.

The Capital Gain figure on the Portfolio page is a performance figure for the selected date range.

It shows the change in value from price movement across your portfolio during that period.

This figure can include both:

This means the Capital Gain figure is not limited to sold investments.

If your open holdings have moved up or down in value, that movement can be included in the Capital Gain figure shown on the Portfolio page.

The Capital Gain figure does not include dividends or distributions.

Income is shown separately under Income Return.

For international holdings, currency movement is shown separately under Currency Gain.

Your Total Return combines the relevant return components, including capital, income, and currency movement.

The Capital Gain figure changes when you change the selected date range.

Navexa recalculates portfolio performance from the start of the selected range to the end of the selected range.

For example:

If the number looks different from what you expect, check the date range first.

The Capital Gain figure on the Portfolio page is different from the Capital Gains Tax report.

The Portfolio page figure is a performance number. It can include realised and unrealised gains for the selected date range.

The Capital Gains Tax report is designed for Australian tax reporting. It focuses on realised capital gains and losses from disposal events during a selected Australian financial year.

Use the Portfolio page to understand performance.

Use Tax Reporting > Capital Gains Tax when preparing Australian tax figures for a financial year.

The Capital Gain figure on the Portfolio page is also different from the Unrealised Gains report.

The Unrealised Gains report is a tax-planning report. It estimates what your unrealised capital gains or losses would be if you sold your current holdings at the selected valuation date.

The Portfolio page Capital Gain figure is a performance figure for the selected date range.

These two numbers can be different because they are designed for different purposes.

If you compare an annual Capital Gain figure with the sum of monthly capital gains, the numbers may not match exactly.

This difference usually comes from calculation method and rounding.

The annual figure is calculated as one continuous performance measure across the full selected period.

Monthly figures are calculated separately for each month. Each monthly result may be rounded before you add the months together.

Because of this, adding monthly figures together can produce a slightly different result from the annual figure.

Here is a simple example.

A portfolio starts the financial year at $100,000 and ends the financial year at $112,500.

The annual capital gain is calculated across the full period:

If each month is calculated separately and rounded, the monthly figures might add up to $12,460 instead.

Both numbers can be valid for their own purpose, but the annual figure is the better measure of the full-year result because it is calculated across the full period as one continuous calculation.

Use the Portfolio page Capital Gain figure when you want to understand portfolio performance for a selected date range.

Use the annual figure rather than adding monthly figures together when comparing performance across a full year.

Use the Capital Gains Tax report when you need realised capital gains and losses for tax reporting.

Use the Unrealised Gains report when you want to estimate the tax impact of selling current holdings.

Remember, this is general information, not personal financial advice.