What if you'd held MSEX?
A $1,000 investment in Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) at the month-end close of 1973-02 would be worth $155,968 at the close of 2026-08 — +15496.8% total return, dividends reinvested. The same $1,000 in the S&P 500 would be worth $69,018.
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 1973
| Year | Value of $1,000 | Year return |
|---|---|---|
| 1973 | $1,000 | — |
| 1974 | $850 | -15.0% |
| 1975 | $981 | +15.4% |
| 1976 | $1,566 | +59.6% |
| 1977 | $1,622 | +3.6% |
| 1978 | $1,509 | -6.9% |
| 1979 | $1,472 | -2.5% |
| 1980 | $1,225 | -16.8% |
| 1981 | $1,284 | +4.8% |
| 1982 | $1,659 | +29.2% |
| 1983 | $2,113 | +27.3% |
| 1984 | $2,547 | +20.6% |
| 1985 | $3,509 | +37.8% |
| 1986 | $3,963 | +12.9% |
| 1987 | $3,944 | -0.5% |
| 1988 | $4,663 | +18.2% |
| 1989 | $4,669 | +0.1% |
| 1990 | $4,500 | -3.6% |
| 1991 | $5,866 | +30.3% |
| 1992 | $7,700 | +31.3% |
| 1993 | $10,328 | +34.1% |
| 1994 | $8,381 | -18.9% |
| 1995 | $10,056 | +20.0% |
| 1996 | $9,994 | -0.6% |
| 1997 | $14,094 | +41.0% |
| 1998 | $16,022 | +13.7% |
| 1999 | $22,175 | +38.4% |
| 2000 | $24,422 | +10.1% |
| 2001 | $25,525 | +4.5% |
| 2002 | $24,541 | -3.9% |
| 2003 | $32,766 | +33.5% |
| 2004 | $31,659 | -3.4% |
| 2005 | $30,006 | -5.2% |
| 2006 | $33,600 | +12.0% |
| 2007 | $34,956 | +4.0% |
| 2008 | $33,053 | -5.4% |
| 2009 | $35,419 | +7.2% |
| 2010 | $38,463 | +8.6% |
| 2011 | $40,734 | +5.9% |
| 2012 | $44,438 | +9.1% |
| 2013 | $49,356 | +11.1% |
| 2014 | $56,375 | +14.2% |
| 2015 | $67,106 | +19.0% |
| 2016 | $111,153 | +65.6% |
| 2017 | $105,678 | -4.9% |
| 2018 | $144,294 | +36.5% |
| 2019 | $174,775 | +21.1% |
| 2020 | $202,344 | +15.8% |
| 2021 | $340,966 | +68.5% |
| 2022 | $225,878 | -33.8% |
| 2023 | $191,581 | -15.2% |
| 2024 | $157,094 | -18.0% |
| 2025 | $154,500 | -1.7% |
| 2026 | $183,750 | +18.9% |
Best and worst month-end to buy
The best single month-end close to have bought MSEX was 1974-12 ($0.27): $1,000 then is $216,176 today. The worst was 2021-12 ($109): $1,000 then is $539.
FAQ
What would $1,000 in MSEX be worth today?
A $1,000 investment in Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) at the start of 1973 would be worth about $155,968 today, a total return of +15496.8%. Dividends are reinvested in these figures.
What were the best and worst years for MSEX?
Middlesex Water Company (MSEX)'s strongest calendar year since 1973 was 2021, a +68.5% return — $1,000 held through that year became about $1,685 by year-end. Its weakest year was 2022, at -33.8%.
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 MSEX have grown?
Investing $100 at the end of every month since 1973-02 would have grown to about $2.63M on $64,300 invested.
Did MSEX beat the S&P 500?
Over the same period, $1,000 in the S&P 500 index would be worth $69,018. MSEX beat the S&P 500 by +126.0% 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
Middlesex Water Company (MSEX) historical total-return data from 1973-02 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.