What if you'd held MNA?
A $1,000 investment in NYLI Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) at the month-end close of 2009-11 would be worth $1,569 at the close of 2026-08 — +56.9% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $7,035.
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 2009
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | $1,000 | — |
| 2010 | $982 | -1.8% |
| 2011 | $977 | -0.5% |
| 2012 | $1,002 | +2.5% |
| 2013 | $1,067 | +6.5% |
| 2014 | $1,123 | +5.2% |
| 2015 | $1,139 | +1.5% |
| 2016 | $1,192 | +4.6% |
| 2017 | $1,263 | +6.0% |
| 2018 | $1,289 | +2.1% |
| 2019 | $1,350 | +4.7% |
| 2020 | $1,387 | +2.7% |
| 2021 | $1,342 | -3.2% |
| 2022 | $1,320 | -1.6% |
| 2023 | $1,323 | +0.2% |
| 2024 | $1,388 | +4.9% |
| 2025 | $1,507 | +8.6% |
| 2026 | $1,546 | +2.6% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MNA was 2011-09 ($22.69): $1,000 then is $1,618 today. The worst was 2026-08 ($36.72): $1,000 then is $1,000.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MNA be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in NYLI Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) at the start of 2009 would be worth about $1,569 today, a total return of +56.9%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MNA?
NYLI Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA)'s strongest calendar year since 2009 was 2025, a +8.6% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,086 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2021, at -3.2%.
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 MNA have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 2009-11 would have grown to about $25,966 on $20,200 invested.
Did MNA beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $7,035. MNA trailed the S&P 500 by +77.7% 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
NYLI Merger Arbitrage ETF (MNA) historical total-return data from 2009-11 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.