What if you'd held MCY?
A $1,000 investment in Mercury General Corporation (MCY) at the month-end close of 1985-11 would be worth $82,393 at the close of 2026-08 — +8139.3% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $38,126.
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 1985
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | $1,000 | — |
| 1986 | $880 | -12.0% |
| 1987 | $710 | -19.3% |
| 1988 | $659 | -7.1% |
| 1989 | $785 | +19.1% |
| 1990 | $1,158 | +47.5% |
| 1991 | $1,646 | +42.2% |
| 1992 | $3,068 | +86.4% |
| 1993 | $3,378 | +10.1% |
| 1994 | $3,316 | -1.8% |
| 1995 | $5,629 | +69.7% |
| 1996 | $6,318 | +12.3% |
| 1997 | $13,498 | +113.6% |
| 1998 | $10,860 | -19.5% |
| 1999 | $5,672 | -47.8% |
| 2000 | $11,581 | +104.2% |
| 2001 | $11,775 | +1.7% |
| 2002 | $10,424 | -11.5% |
| 2003 | $13,324 | +27.8% |
| 2004 | $17,640 | +32.4% |
| 2005 | $17,664 | +0.1% |
| 2006 | $16,584 | -6.1% |
| 2007 | $16,293 | -1.8% |
| 2008 | $15,803 | -3.0% |
| 2009 | $14,516 | -8.1% |
| 2010 | $16,821 | +15.9% |
| 2011 | $18,937 | +12.6% |
| 2012 | $17,459 | -7.8% |
| 2013 | $23,143 | +32.6% |
| 2014 | $27,715 | +19.8% |
| 2015 | $23,878 | -13.8% |
| 2016 | $32,298 | +35.3% |
| 2017 | $29,963 | -7.2% |
| 2018 | $30,465 | +1.7% |
| 2019 | $30,090 | -1.2% |
| 2020 | $34,134 | +13.4% |
| 2021 | $36,243 | +6.2% |
| 2022 | $24,425 | -32.6% |
| 2023 | $27,746 | +13.6% |
| 2024 | $50,572 | +82.3% |
| 2025 | $72,877 | +44.1% |
| 2026 | $81,365 | +11.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MCY was 1988-05 ($0.78): $1,000 then is $134,420 today. The worst was 2026-07 ($107): $1,000 then is $974.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MCY be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Mercury General Corporation (MCY) at the start of 1985 would be worth about $82,393 today, a total return of +8139.3%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MCY?
Mercury General Corporation (MCY)'s strongest calendar year since 1985 was 1997, a +113.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,136 by year-end. Its weakest year was 1999, at -47.8%.
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 MCY have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1985-11 would have grown to about $978,159 on $49,000 invested.
Did MCY beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $38,126. MCY beat the S&P 500 by +116.1% 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
Mercury General Corporation (MCY) historical total-return data from 1985-11 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.