If you invested $1,000 in MRK — what it would be worth today
A $1,000 investment in Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) in January 2016 would be worth $3,826 as of August 2026 with dividends reinvested — 13.6% a year. Use the dropdowns above to try any amount, ticker, or starting month back to January 1970.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,684 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,427 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). MRK trailed both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
What $1,000 in MRK would be worth today, by starting month#
each bar = one starting month, held to today$1,000 invested in MRK, by starting year#
| Invested in | Worth today | Same in QQQ | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $3,826 | $7,427 | 3.8× | 13.6% |
| 2017 | $3,030 | $6,141 | 3.0× | 12.3% |
| 2018 | $3,076 | $4,475 | 3.1× | 14.1% |
| 2019 | $2,377 | $4,470 | 2.4× | 12.2% |
| 2020 | $2,016 | $3,403 | 2.0× | 11.3% |
| 2021 | $2,167 | $2,353 | 2.2× | 14.9% |
| 2022 | $1,888 | $2,029 | 1.9× | 15.0% |
| 2023 | $1,388 | $2,482 | 1.4× | 9.7% |
| 2024 | $1,201 | $1,742 | 1.2× | 7.4% |
| 2025 | $1,429 | $1,382 | 1.4× | 26.0% |
Methodology#
Investments are assumed made at the first trading day's close of the chosen year. "Dividends reinvested" uses split- and dividend-adjusted closes (a standard total-return approximation; taxes and fees excluded). "Price-only" uses split-adjusted closes. MRK data begins January 1970; values as of August 2026 and refresh daily. Past performance does not predict future returns; not investment advice.
See the live MRK chart and fundamentals on the MRK quote page or compare with the same investment in SPY.
FAQ
- How much would $1,000 invested in MRK be worth today?
- A $1,000 investment in Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) in January 2016 would be worth about $3,826 as of August 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 13.6% a year.
- How far back does the MRK calculation go?
- MRK data begins January 1970. You can pick any starting month from then to the present and see what your investment would be worth today.
- Does this include dividends?
- Yes. The default "dividends reinvested" view uses split- and dividend-adjusted closing prices — a standard total-return approximation that excludes taxes and fees. A price-only view (split-adjusted, no dividends) is also available.