MCY
Mercury General Corporation Financial Services - Insurance - Property & Casualty Investor Relations →
Mercury General Corporation (MCY) closed at $86.83 as of 2026-03-20, trading 71.9% above its 200-week moving average of $50.50. The stock is currently moving closer to the line, down from 76.3% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 42, indicating neutral momentum.
Trading volume is running at 1.4x of its 14-week average, which is in the normal range. The balance between buying and selling volume (0.94 ratio) is neutral — neither side is clearly dominating.
Over the past 2056 weeks of data, MCY has crossed below its 200-week moving average 27 times. On average, these episodes lasted 20 weeks. Historically, investors who bought MCY at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +5.7%.
With a market cap of $4.8 billion, MCY is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 52.5%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 24.8%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 2.0x book value.
MCY passes our Buffett quality screen: high return on equity, low debt, and positive free cash flow.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in MCY would have grown to $2221, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. MCY has returned 9.8% annualized vs 10.4% for the index, underperforming the broader market over this period.
In the past 12 months, corporate insiders have made 3 open-market purchases totaling $1,042,030.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 48% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Business Health
Annual financials — how the underlying business has performed over the past several years.
Cash Flow Free cash flow & net income ($M)
Revenue Annual revenue ($M) — business growth proxy
Total Debt Balance sheet debt ($M)
ROIC Return on invested capital (%)
FCF Yield Free cash flow / market cap (%) — Yartseva signal
Gross Margin Pricing power & competitive moat (%)
Shares Outstanding Buybacks vs dilution (millions)
Growth of $100: MCY vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After MCY Crosses Below the Line?
Across 22 historical episodes, buying MCY when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +0.8% after 12 months (median +4.0%), compared to +1.8% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 55% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +18.8% vs +14.3% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment MCY crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
MCY has crossed below its 200-week MA 27 times with an average 1-year return of +5.7% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 1986 | Feb 1987 | 14 | 22.4% | -11.9% | +7206.8% |
| Apr 1987 | Aug 1987 | 16 | 23.4% | -33.3% | +6567.5% |
| Aug 1987 | Nov 1989 | 116 | 36.9% | -29.3% | +7108.1% |
| Dec 1989 | Feb 1990 | 11 | 15.4% | +46.5% | +8156.8% |
| Mar 1990 | Apr 1990 | 7 | 11.0% | +109.9% | +8156.8% |
| Feb 1999 | Mar 1999 | 3 | 0.6% | -30.0% | +710.1% |
| Apr 1999 | Apr 1999 | 3 | 3.6% | -5.4% | +720.7% |
| Jul 1999 | Nov 2000 | 69 | 38.8% | -24.6% | +669.3% |
| Jan 2001 | Jan 2001 | 2 | 8.3% | +30.3% | +676.6% |
| Feb 2001 | May 2001 | 13 | 9.8% | +18.4% | +610.5% |
| Jun 2001 | Jul 2001 | 7 | 7.3% | +34.8% | +624.1% |
| Oct 2007 | Nov 2007 | 4 | 1.4% | +6.8% | +314.4% |
| Dec 2007 | Apr 2008 | 19 | 14.2% | -4.3% | +313.2% |
| May 2008 | May 2008 | 2 | 1.2% | -26.7% | +312.7% |
| Jun 2008 | Jul 2008 | 7 | 7.2% | -28.0% | +311.3% |
| Oct 2008 | Mar 2010 | 73 | 51.0% | -13.7% | +341.7% |
| Aug 2010 | Sep 2010 | 6 | 5.5% | +3.4% | +365.9% |
| Mar 2011 | Mar 2011 | 1 | 2.8% | +23.3% | +356.2% |
| Jul 2011 | Aug 2011 | 4 | 3.0% | +16.3% | +350.8% |
| Sep 2011 | Sep 2011 | 1 | 0.6% | +14.1% | +352.6% |
| Jan 2016 | Jan 2016 | 1 | 0.4% | +45.4% | +205.8% |
| Jan 2018 | Jul 2018 | 26 | 13.0% | +12.6% | +145.9% |
| Oct 2019 | Feb 2020 | 15 | 3.4% | -11.1% | +128.3% |
| Feb 2020 | Dec 2020 | 41 | 27.7% | +42.8% | +152.5% |
| May 2022 | May 2022 | 1 | 2.5% | -30.8% | +109.5% |
| Jun 2022 | Jan 2024 | 84 | 38.6% | -34.0% | +107.3% |
| Jan 2024 | Feb 2024 | 1 | 4.1% | +31.5% | +134.1% |
| Average | 20 | — | +5.7% | — |
Frequently Asked Questions
Is MCY below its 200-week moving average?
No. Mercury General Corporation (MCY) is currently 71.9% above its 200-week moving average of $50.50. It would need to fall to $50.50 to cross below the line.
What is MCY's 200-week moving average price?
Mercury General Corporation's 200-week moving average is $50.50 as of 2026-03-20. This is the average weekly closing price over roughly the last 4 years, and it acts as a long-term trend line. When a stock drops below this level, it can signal that the price has fallen far enough from the long-term trend to attract value-oriented investors.
What happens when MCY drops below its 200-week moving average?
MCY has crossed below its 200-week moving average 27 times in our data. On average, buying at that moment produced a one-year return of +5.7%. These dips have historically been decent entry points. These episodes lasted 20 weeks on average.
Is MCY a good value right now?
Here's what our data says about MCY as of 2026-03-20: The stock is above its 200-week moving average, so it doesn't currently meet our primary signal. The 14-week RSI is 42. Free cash flow yield is 52.5%. Return on equity is 24.8%. Price-to-book is 2.0x. This is not a buy or sell recommendation — always do your own research.
How does MCY compare to the S&P 500?
Over the past 33.2 years, $100 invested in MCY would have grown to $2221, compared to $2683 for the S&P 500. That's 9.8% annualized vs 10.4% for the index. MCY has underperformed the broader market over this period.
Does MCY pay a dividend?
Yes. Mercury General Corporation currently pays a dividend yield of 146.00%.
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of week of 2026-03-20