Before You Start
- Basic understanding of stocks, ETFs, and investment terms
- Active accounts with at least one European broker (e.g., DEGIRO, Trade Republic, Interactive Brokers)
- Access to your trade history or account statements in CSV or PDF format
- Windows, macOS, or Linux computer (Portfolio Performance is not available as a mobile app)
- Java Runtime Environment (JRE) installed (required for Portfolio Performance)
Time needed: 60–90 minutes for first-time setup (less for ongoing tracking)
What you'll need: Portfolio Performance app (free, download here), broker login, trade files
Portfolio Performance is a free, open-source app beloved by European DIY investors for its power and flexibility. It lets you track all your portfolios—stocks, ETFs, cash, dividends, and costs—in one dashboard, in EUR or your preferred currency. This tutorial will walk you step-by-step through setting up Portfolio Performance, importing trades from brokers like DEGIRO, Trade Republic, and Interactive Brokers, and using its advanced tracking features. You'll finish with a fully functional, automatically updating investment tracker tailored for European assets.
Step 1: Install Portfolio Performance and Set Base Currency
What to do:
- Download Portfolio Performance from the official website.
- Install the app according to your operating system (Windows, macOS, or Linux instructions are provided on the site).
- On first launch, choose File → New File. Save your file with a meaningful name (e.g., My_Portfolio_2024).
- Set your base currency to EUR (you can find this in File → Properties).
Why it matters: Setting EUR as your base currency ensures all performance metrics, charts, and reports are calculated in euros, which simplifies tax reporting and lets you compare assets on a like-for-like basis.
What can go wrong: If you forget to set the base currency at the start, you may get inconsistent reporting, especially if you own USD- or GBP-denominated assets. You can change it later, but it’s easier to decide up front.
Pro Tip
If you have assets in multiple currencies (e.g., USD stocks), Portfolio Performance automatically pulls exchange rates for accurate EUR conversion.
Step 2: Create Your Securities and Accounts
What to do:
- Go to Accounts in the left sidebar. Click New Account and create one for each broker (e.g., “DEGIRO EUR Account”).
- Navigate to Securities. For each stock or ETF you own, click New Security. Enter the ISIN (e.g., IE00B4L5Y983 for iShares Core MSCI World UCITS ETF).
- Set the exchange (e.g., XETRA, Euronext) to match your broker’s listings.
Why it matters: Accurate setup means trades will import cleanly and Portfolio Performance can fetch price histories automatically.
What can go wrong: Entering the wrong ISIN or exchange can cause mismatches, missing price updates, or incorrect asset allocation charts.
Pro Tip
Use the Search Online feature in Securities to auto-fill ETF and stock details by ISIN—this saves time and reduces typos.
Step 3: Import Trades from Your Broker (DEGIRO, Trade Republic, Interactive Brokers)
What to do:
- DEGIRO: Log in to your DEGIRO account. Go to Account → Activity → Export and download your transactions as a CSV file.
- Trade Republic: In the app, tap Profile → Documents. Download your annual or monthly account statement (PDF).
- Interactive Brokers: Use Reports → Activity Statements; download as CSV or PDF.
- In Portfolio Performance, go to File → Import → Import Transactions.
- Select the broker and file type. Follow the prompts to map columns (e.g., date, ISIN, quantity, price, fees).
Why it matters: Importing directly avoids manual data entry errors and saves time—especially for frequent traders or if you have years of history.
What can go wrong: Some brokers (like Trade Republic) only supply PDFs. Portfolio Performance can import some PDFs, but not all formats. If your file isn’t supported, you may need to convert it to CSV or enter trades manually for the first setup.
Pro Tip
If you use savings plans (e.g., monthly ETF purchases in Trade Republic), look for “Sparplan” entries in your reports and ensure these are imported as separate transactions for accurate cost basis tracking.
Expected outcome: After successful import, go to Transactions and verify you see all your trades (buy/sell, quantity, date, price, fees) listed for each security.
Step 4: Track Asset Allocation and Portfolio Distribution
What to do:
- Click on Performance → Asset Allocation in the sidebar.
- Review your portfolio split by asset class (e.g., 60% global equity ETFs, 30% EU stocks, 10% cash).
- For a deeper dive, use Performance → Chart → Pie Chart to visualize allocation by ISIN, sector, region, or currency.
Why it matters: Seeing your actual asset allocation helps you spot concentration risks (e.g., too much in tech stocks, or overexposed to USD) and rebalance as needed.
What can go wrong: If you skipped creating asset classes or didn’t assign them to each security, your allocation charts may show “Unclassified” buckets or inaccurate splits.
Pro Tip
Assign asset classes (e.g., “Global Equity”, “Eurozone Bonds”) to each security for more meaningful allocation reports. You can customize classes under Setup → Asset Classes.
Step 5: Analyze Performance and Returns in EUR
What to do:
- Go to Performance → Overview for a summary of your portfolio’s time-weighted and internal rate of return.
- Switch to Performance → Chart and select Value over Time to see your portfolio growth in EUR.
- Review Performance → Holdings for a breakdown of gains/losses by position, including EUR impact of currency fluctuations.
Why it matters: Analyzing in EUR gives a true picture of your wealth growth, factoring in both market moves and FX effects—critical for EU investors with global assets.
What can go wrong: If you have missing price data (for rare securities or new IPOs), charts may show gaps or flat lines. Double-check ISINs and exchanges, and use the “Update Quotes” feature to fetch missing prices.
Pro Tip
Set benchmarks (e.g., MSCI World EUR index) under Benchmarks to compare your portfolio’s performance against the market.
Step 6: Monitor Dividends and Track Investment Costs
What to do:
- After importing trades, download your dividend statements from your broker (DEGIRO: Account → Documents → Dividends; Trade Republic: Profile → Documents → Dividend Notifications).
- In Portfolio Performance, go to Transactions → Add Dividend and enter the amount, date, and ISIN for each payment. Some brokers include dividend data in CSVs—check if these were imported automatically.
- Track costs by ensuring all fees (brokerage, FX, taxes) are included in your imports. You can also add costs manually via Transactions → Add Fees.
Why it matters: Tracking dividends and costs lets you calculate your true net returns—essential for comparing brokers, strategies, and for tax purposes in most EU countries.
What can go wrong: Missing a dividend or forgetting to log a cost will overstate your returns. Double-check against your broker’s annual tax statement for completeness.
Pro Tip
Use the Reports → Income section to generate a year-by-year summary of all dividends received in EUR, handy for tax filing.
Common Mistakes
- Wrong ISIN or exchange: Leads to price mismatches and missing data—always double-check before importing trades.
- Partial trade imports: Some brokers’ files only show buys/sells, not fees or dividends. Supplement with manual entries where needed.
- Ignoring currency conversion: If you invest in USD/GBP assets, forgetting to set or update exchange rates will distort EUR performance.
- Not backing up: Portfolio Performance files are local. Regularly back up your data file to avoid loss.
Next Steps
- Set a monthly reminder to import new trades and dividends from your broker(s).
- Explore advanced features: custom reports, tax lots, or integration with OpenFIGI for automatic security data.
- Test rebalancing scenarios using the allocation and performance tools to optimize your portfolio over time.
Disclaimer: This article is for educational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice. Always do your own research and consider consulting a qualified financial advisor before making investment decisions.