What if you'd held FRME?
A $1,000 investment in First Merchants Corporation (FRME) at the month-end close of 1989-06 would be worth $21,010 at the close of 2026-08 — +2001.0% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $24,240.
Your scenario
Result
If you'd bought $1,000 at the start of each year
Value of $1,000 invested on January 1 of each year, held to 2026-08, dividends included.
Every year, $1,000 from 1989
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | $1,000 | — |
| 1990 | $941 | -5.9% |
| 1991 | $1,328 | +41.1% |
| 1992 | $2,064 | +55.4% |
| 1993 | $2,064 | 0.0% |
| 1994 | $2,397 | +16.2% |
| 1995 | $2,941 | +22.7% |
| 1996 | $3,127 | +6.3% |
| 1997 | $4,549 | +45.5% |
| 1998 | $4,931 | +8.4% |
| 1999 | $5,132 | +4.1% |
| 2000 | $4,613 | -10.1% |
| 2001 | $5,333 | +15.6% |
| 2002 | $5,515 | +3.4% |
| 2003 | $6,721 | +21.9% |
| 2004 | $7,730 | +15.0% |
| 2005 | $7,363 | -4.8% |
| 2006 | $7,985 | +8.5% |
| 2007 | $6,681 | -16.3% |
| 2008 | $7,093 | +6.2% |
| 2009 | $2,015 | -71.6% |
| 2010 | $3,020 | +49.9% |
| 2011 | $2,902 | -3.9% |
| 2012 | $5,123 | +76.5% |
| 2013 | $7,922 | +54.6% |
| 2014 | $8,044 | +1.5% |
| 2015 | $9,137 | +13.6% |
| 2016 | $13,804 | +51.1% |
| 2017 | $15,686 | +13.6% |
| 2018 | $13,029 | -16.9% |
| 2019 | $16,235 | +24.6% |
| 2020 | $15,113 | -6.9% |
| 2021 | $17,377 | +15.0% |
| 2022 | $17,569 | +1.1% |
| 2023 | $16,549 | -5.8% |
| 2024 | $18,505 | +11.8% |
| 2025 | $18,034 | -2.5% |
| 2026 | $20,598 | +14.2% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought FRME was 1990-09 ($1.72): $1,000 then is $24,430 today. The worst was 2026-06 ($43.69): $1,000 then is $962.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in FRME be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in First Merchants Corporation (FRME) at the start of 1989 would be worth about $21,010 today, a total return of +2001.0%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for FRME?
First Merchants Corporation (FRME)'s strongest calendar year since 1989 was 2012, a +76.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,765 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2009, at -71.6%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Yes where available. Prices are adjusted for both stock splits and reinvested dividends (total return), the same measure brokerages use.
How much would $100 per month in FRME have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1989-06 would have grown to about $231,688 on $44,700 invested.
Did FRME beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $24,240. FRME trailed the S&P 500 by +13.3% in total return.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number is a historical calculation, not a prediction, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
First Merchants Corporation (FRME) historical total-return data from 1989-06 to 2026-08, reduced to month-end closes for the tables above.
Returns use adjusted close prices from Yahoo Finance historical data — adjusted for stock splits and reinvested dividends — the same convention used by major brokerages. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest available month-end close. Non-USD amounts are converted at historical month-end exchange rates (Yahoo Finance): to USD on the buy date and back to your currency at the latest rate, so the return reflects the currency move as well as the asset.
Month-end resolution means intra-month extremes are not captured in tables; the calculator uses exact trading-day closes where daily data is available. Figures ignore taxes, fees, and the currency effects of non-USD listings. History is not a forecast. Wall Street Regrets is entertainment, not investment advice.
What if you'd held…
Data: adjusted close prices via Yahoo Finance. As of 2026-08. Not financial advice.