If you invested $1,000 in MRK — what it would be worth today
$1,000
once in
Dollar-cost averaging invests the same amount every period, so the chart compares value against what you put in.January 2016
Priced at a real closing price — the month's last trading day, or that exact day's close when you pick one.today
Monthly data: valued at the closing price on the last trading day of that month.A $1,000 investment in Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK) in January 2016 would be worth $4,149 as of October 2026 with dividends reinvested — 14.3% a year compounded (CAGR). Use the dropdowns above to try any amount or starting month back to January 1970.
Over the same period, the same $1,000 would be worth $4,724 in the S&P 500 (SPY) and $7,777 in the Nasdaq-100 (QQQ). MRK trailed both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq-100 over that period.
Growth of $1,000 in MRK since January 2016— monthly
Merck & Co. Inc. (MRK). Total return approximated via dividend- and split-adjusted closes (no taxes or fees). Not investment advice.
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 year— dividends reinvested, held to today
| Invested in | Worth today | Multiple | Annualized |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | $4,149 | 4.1× | 14.3% |
| 2017 | $3,285 | 3.3× | 13.1% |
| 2018 | $3,335 | 3.3× | 14.9% |
| 2019 | $2,576 | 2.6× | 13.1% |
| 2020 | $2,185 | 2.2× | 12.4% |
| 2021 | $2,347 | 2.3× | 16.2% |
| 2022 | $2,044 | 2.0× | 16.6% |
| 2023 | $1,502 | 1.5× | 11.7% |
| 2024 | $1,300 | 1.3× | 10.3% |
| 2025 | $1,546 | 1.5× | 29.9% |
Methodology
Investments are assumed made at the chosen month's last trading day close, or that exact day's close when a day is picked. "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 October 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 $4,149 as of October 2026, with dividends reinvested. That works out to about 14.3% a year compounded (CAGR).
- 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.