What if you'd held MFA?
A $1,000 investment in MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) at the month-end close of 1998-04 would be worth $6,556 at the close of 2026-08 — +555.6% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $6,933.
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 1998
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | $1,000 | — |
| 1999 | $1,147 | +14.7% |
| 2000 | $1,367 | +19.2% |
| 2001 | $2,737 | +100.2% |
| 2002 | $3,005 | +9.8% |
| 2003 | $3,908 | +30.0% |
| 2004 | $3,924 | +0.4% |
| 2005 | $2,694 | -31.3% |
| 2006 | $3,745 | +39.0% |
| 2007 | $4,744 | +26.7% |
| 2008 | $3,475 | -26.8% |
| 2009 | $5,004 | +44.0% |
| 2010 | $6,237 | +24.6% |
| 2011 | $5,890 | -5.6% |
| 2012 | $7,942 | +34.8% |
| 2013 | $8,430 | +6.1% |
| 2014 | $10,542 | +25.0% |
| 2015 | $9,694 | -8.0% |
| 2016 | $12,504 | +29.0% |
| 2017 | $14,292 | +14.3% |
| 2018 | $13,456 | -5.9% |
| 2019 | $17,162 | +27.5% |
| 2020 | $10,149 | -40.9% |
| 2021 | $12,960 | +27.7% |
| 2022 | $8,138 | -37.2% |
| 2023 | $10,634 | +30.7% |
| 2024 | $10,913 | +2.6% |
| 2025 | $11,575 | +6.1% |
| 2026 | $12,198 | +5.4% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MFA was 1999-04 ($0.74): $1,000 then is $12,215 today. The worst was 2020-01 ($13.05): $1,000 then is $697.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MFA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) at the start of 1998 would be worth about $6,556 today, a total return of +555.6%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MFA?
MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA)'s strongest calendar year since 1998 was 2001, a +100.2% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $2,002 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2020, at -40.9%.
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 MFA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1998-04 would have grown to about $98,259 on $34,100 invested.
Did MFA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $6,933. MFA trailed the S&P 500 by +5.4% 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
MFA Financial, Inc. (MFA) historical total-return data from 1998-04 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.