Drawdown Recovery Calculator
Free drawdown recovery calculator: the exact gain needed to recover any loss — a 50% drawdown needs +100% — plus how long it takes at your average return.
Losses and gains aren't symmetric: the deeper the drawdown, the disproportionately larger the gain needed to climb back. See exactly how much.
QuantDojo · Free tool
Drawdown Recovery Calculator
A loss needs a bigger gain to undo it. See exactly how much — and roughly how long at your average return.
How it works: recovery % = DD ÷ (1 − DD). A 50% drawdown needs +100% to get back — losses and gains are not symmetric.
Educational tool — not financial advice. Time-to-recover assumes a constant average gain per period and compounding.
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Why losses hurt more than they look
Drawdowns are asymmetric: the deeper the hole, the disproportionately larger the gain needed to climb out. Lose 10% and you need +11% back; lose 50% and you need +100%; lose 80% and you need +400%. This is why capital preservation beats chasing returns.
Frequently asked questions
What gain do I need to recover a 50% loss?
Exactly +100%. The formula is gain = drawdown ÷ (1 − drawdown), so a halved account has to double just to break even.
How long does it take to recover a drawdown?
It depends on your average return per period. The calculator estimates it assuming a constant compounded gain — real recoveries are lumpier and usually slower.
The best way to recover from a drawdown is to avoid the deep ones in the first place — which starts with knowing your strategy's real risk profile. Validate it with quantcheck.