← Glossary
Realized gain
The gain or loss you locked in by selling: what you sold for minus what those shares cost.
When you sell, the gain or loss on the shares sold is fixed: the money received minus their cost basis. Later price moves no longer change it.
Realized gains are usually what tax is charged on. Your total result on a holding is its realized gain plus the unrealized gain on what you still hold, plus any dividends.