What if you'd held MRK?
A $1,000 investment in Merck & Company, Inc. Common Stock (new) (MRK) at the month-end close of 2021-06 would be worth $1,877 at the close on 2026-10-16: a +87.7% price return. Through September 2026, the latest month the fund has reported, the same $1,000 became $1,870 in MRK and $1,916 in an S&P 500 index fund (TSP C Fund). The fund figure includes reinvested dividends; the stock figure does not, so the comparison favors the fund.
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 and held to the latest close.
Every year, $1,000 from 2021
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | $1,000 | — |
| 2022 | $1,448 | +44.8% |
| 2023 | $1,423 | -1.7% |
| 2024 | $1,299 | -8.7% |
| 2025 | $1,374 | +5.8% |
| 2026 | $1,905 | +38.6% |
Best and worst month to buy
The best month to have bought MRK was 2021-11, at a close of $74.87: $1,000 then is $1,950 today. The worst was 2026-08, at $148: $1,000 then is $988.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MRK be worth today?
About $1,877 at the latest close, a price return of +87.7%. That is $1,000 put into MRK at the 2021-06 month-end close, the first in this price history.
What were the best and worst years for MRK?
MRK's best calendar year since 2021 was 2022, with a +44.8% return: $1,000 invested at the start of that year became about $1,448. Its worst year was 2024, at -8.7%.
Does the calculator include dividends and splits?
Splits only. Price return: adjusted for stock splits, dividends not included. Prices are split-adjusted automatically; a ticker whose history we could not adjust with confidence starts later or is not shown.
How much would $100 per month in MRK have grown?
To about $9,542 from $6,500 invested, putting in $100 at every monthly close since 2021-06.
Did MRK beat the S&P 500?
No. From the June 2021 month-end through September 2026, MRK trailed an S&P 500 index fund by 2.4%: $1,000 in the fund (the TSP C Fund, dividends included) became $1,916, and $1,000 in MRK (price only) became $1,870. The fund's monthly returns are published at tsp.gov.
Is this investment advice?
No. Wall Street Regrets is an entertainment and education tool. Every number here is a historical calculation, and past performance never guarantees future results.
Methodology
The figures on this page use MRK's historical price data from 2021-06 to 2026-10. The tables and the calculator above use month-end closes.
Prices come from IEX Historical Data. A "year" scenario invests $1,000 at the prior December's month-end close and values it at the latest close. Amounts in other currencies are converted at month-end exchange rates published by the European Central Bank and, for earlier years, the Federal Reserve: into US dollars at the buy date's rate and back at the sell date's rate, so the return includes the currency move.
Prices are the last regular-session trade on IEX (Investors Exchange) each day, which can differ slightly from the official close. Month-end closes miss the highs and lows inside a month. Figures ignore taxes, fees and the currency effects of non-USD listings.
What if you'd held…
Prices as of the last IEX trade on 2026-10-16. Data delayed end-of-day.