Finance

EVA Calculator

Calculate Economic Value Added to determine whether a company is generating returns above its cost of capital.

CALCULATOR

Enter your numbers

Instant results
$50,000
Economic Value Added
NOPAT$150,000
Capital Charge$100,000
InterpretationPositive EVA — the company is generating returns above its cost of capital.

THE NUMORIX GUIDE

How to use the EVA Calculator

Last reviewed September 14, 2026

What this calculator does

Economic Value Added is calculated as EVA = NOPAT - capital charge, where capital charge = total capital x WACC/100.

Formula and method

Economic Value Added is calculated as EVA = NOPAT - capital charge, where capital charge = total capital x WACC/100. The engine treats NOPAT as an already prepared after-tax operating-profit input, calculates the charge from the entered capital base and WACC, and reports positive, zero, or negative value creation.

Variables and inputs

Enter NOPAT and Total Capital as dollar amounts for the same period and WACC as a percentage. The result is a dollar amount. The UI also displays the capital charge as total capital multiplied by WACC/100.

Worked example

With NOPAT of $150,000, total capital of $1,000,000, and WACC of 10%, capital charge = 1,000,000 x 0.10 = $100,000. EVA = 150,000 - 100,000 = $50,000, so the engine reports positive value creation.

How to interpret the result

Positive EVA means the entered operating profit exceeds the modeled dollar cost of the capital employed. Zero means the return just covers that charge, and negative EVA means the entered operation falls short under the selected definitions; this is an economic-profit lens, not a stock-price forecast.

Common mistakes to avoid

Enter NOPAT, not pre-tax operating profit or net income, and keep the capital base and profit period aligned. Enter 10 for a 10% WACC. Do not mix a market-value WACC with an incompatible book-capital definition without documenting the choice.

Assumptions and limitations

The engine does not calculate NOPAT, WACC, invested-capital adjustments, tax effects, leases, goodwill, inflation, or capital allocation. EVA is sensitive to accounting policy and the chosen capital base, and a positive value does not by itself establish a good investment or a sustainable competitive advantage.

Sources and references

COMMON QUESTIONS

Frequently asked questions

What is the capital charge?

It is the return required by the capital base under the entered WACC: total capital multiplied by WACC as a decimal. In the example, $1,000,000 at 10% creates a $100,000 charge.

How is EVA related to ROIC?

Conceptually, EVA is positive when after-tax operating return exceeds the cost of capital. This route does not calculate ROIC, and the comparison is meaningful only when profit, capital, and WACC definitions use matching periods and adjustments.

Does negative EVA mean the company lost money?

Not necessarily. A company can report positive NOPAT and still have negative EVA if that profit is below the dollar return required on its capital base.