CAGR (Compound Annual Growth Rate) measures your investments' average annual growth over a given period. It shows you the average rate of return on your investments over a year. CAGR is a helpful tool for investors because it precisely measures investment growth (or decline) over time.
Disadvantage of CAGR: Smoothing and Risk
One disadvantage of the Compound Annual Growth Rate is that it assumes growth to be constant throughout the investment's time horizon. This smoothing mechanism may yield results that differ from the actual situation with a highly volatile investment.
For companies with large capitalization, a CAGR in sales of 5% to 12% is good. For small-cap and midcap companies, a CAGR of 15% to 30% is good. Startup companies, on the other hand, should have a CAGR ranging from 100% to 500%.
You may consider CAGR of around 5%-10% in sales revenue to be good for a company. CAGR is used to forecast the growth potential of a company. For a Company with a track record of over five years, you may consider a CAGR of 10%-20% to be good for sales.
Advantages and Disadvantages of CAGR
The CAGR is superior to other calculations, such as average returns, because it takes into account that values compound over time. On the downside, the CAGR dampens the perception of volatility.
Most investors would view an average annual rate of return of 10% or more as a good ROI for long-term investments in the stock market. However, keep in mind that this is an average. Some years will deliver lower returns -- perhaps even negative returns. Other years will generate significantly higher returns.
For irregular investments with detailed cash flow data, XIRR is often more useful and accurate than CAGR since it accounts for the timing and size of all cash inflows and outflows. However, for regular investments focused on long-term growth, CAGR may be sufficient and easier to calculate.
Calculate the total number of years or periods over which the growth occurred. Use the formula: CAGR = (Ending Value / Starting Value) ^(1 / Number of Years) – 1. Multiply the result by 100 to express the CAGR as a percentage.
For a developed economy, an annual GDP growth rate of 2%-3% is considered normal. Therefore, any GDP growth above the said rate is a strong sign that an economy is expanding and prospering. A prospering economy creates more wealth, which leads to increased spending.
Average annual growth rate (AAGR) is the average increase. It is a linear measure and does not take into account compounding. Meanwhile, the compound annual growth rate (CAGR) does and it smooths out an investment's returns, diminishing the effect of return volatility.
However, the CAGR should ideally be more than the saving account interest rate for most investments – equity or fixed income. Historically, in the long term, large and strong companies have given a return between 8% to 12% to their investors.
If you hold investments for less than a year, the straightforward nature of absolute returns might make them a more suitable choice. However, when dealing with investments over several years, CAGR provides valuable insights into the growth pattern and overall performance.
The compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) is one of the most accurate ways to calculate and determine returns for anything that can rise or fall in value over time. It measures a smoothed rate of return.
CAGR stands for Compound Annual Growth Rate. It is a way to measure how an investment or business has grown over a specific period of time. It takes into account the effect of compounding, which means that the growth builds upon itself.
$3,000 X 12 months = $36,000 per year. $36,000 / 6% dividend yield = $600,000. On the other hand, if you're more risk-averse and prefer a portfolio yielding 2%, you'd need to invest $1.8 million to reach the $3,000 per month target: $3,000 X 12 months = $36,000 per year.
A good return on investment is generally considered to be around 7% per year, based on the average historic return of the S&P 500 index, adjusted for inflation. The average return of the U.S. stock market is around 10% per year, adjusted for inflation, dating back to the late 1920s.
A common rule is to budget for at least 70% of your pre-retirement income during retirement. This assumes some of your expenses will disappear in retirement and 70% will be enough to cover essentials. Remember, that's a general guideline, and your needs may vary. Here's more on how much to save for retirement.