Finance
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Residual Income Calculator.
Calculate residual income after a capital charge.
Set your values
Results update as you type.
How to Use
Residual income = net income − (equity × required return). Required return and accounting definitions are supplied by you; this is not an investment recommendation.
FAQs
How does the residual income calculator work?
Enter the requested values to receive a deterministic result. No live market, tax, or jurisdiction data is inferred.
Use Cases
Evaluate company performance
Assess whether a company is creating value beyond the cost of equity capital. Useful for investors and managers to gauge profitability relative to equity risk.
Example: A company with net income of $500,000, equity of $2,000,000, and required return of 12% has residual income of $260,000.
Compare investment opportunities
Compare residual income across different projects or companies to identify which ones generate excess returns over the required return.
Example: Compare two projects with different equity bases and required returns to see which yields higher residual income.
Frequently Asked Questions
- What is residual income in this calculator?
- Residual income is the net income left after subtracting a charge for the cost of equity capital. It measures whether a company is earning more than the minimum required return on its equity.
- How is the equity charge calculated?
- The equity charge is calculated by multiplying the equity amount by the required return (as a percentage). For example, if equity is $1,000,000 and required return is 10%, the charge is $100,000.
- What does a negative residual income indicate?
- A negative residual income means the company's net income is less than the equity charge, indicating it is not generating enough profit to cover the required return on equity.
Tips & Common Mistakes
Tips
- Ensure net income and equity are in the same currency and time period (e.g., annual figures).
- Use a required return that reflects the risk of the equity, such as the cost of equity from CAPM.
- Residual income can be used for valuation, but it's best combined with other metrics like ROE and growth.
- Double-check that the required return is entered as a percentage (e.g., 10 for 10%), not as a decimal.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
- Entering the required return as a decimal (0.10) instead of a percentage (10), leading to an incorrect equity charge.
- Using net income from a different period than equity, causing mismatched calculations.
- Forgetting that residual income is not the same as economic value added (EVA) if adjustments are needed for accounting distortions.
Last updated: August 13, 2026