MCY
Mercury General Corporation Financial Services - Insurance - Property & Casualty Investor Relations →
Mercury General Corporation (MCY) closed at $95.19 as of 2026-02-02, trading 92.9% above its 200-week moving average of $49.35. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 78.3% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 70, MCY is in overbought territory.
Over the past 2050 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 $5.3 billion, MCY is a mid-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 8.3%, which is notably high. Return on equity stands at 21.5%, indicating strong profitability. The stock trades at 2.4x 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 $2426, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. MCY has returned 10.1% annualized vs 10.6% 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 29.1% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
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% | +7881.6% |
| Apr 1987 | Aug 1987 | 16 | 23.4% | -33.3% | +7183.2% |
| Aug 1987 | Nov 1989 | 116 | 36.9% | -29.3% | +7773.7% |
| Dec 1989 | Feb 1990 | 11 | 15.4% | +46.5% | +8919.2% |
| Mar 1990 | Apr 1990 | 7 | 11.0% | +109.9% | +8919.2% |
| Feb 1999 | Mar 1999 | 3 | 0.6% | -30.0% | +784.9% |
| Apr 1999 | Apr 1999 | 3 | 3.6% | -5.4% | +796.5% |
| Jul 1999 | Nov 2000 | 69 | 38.8% | -24.6% | +740.4% |
| Jan 2001 | Jan 2001 | 2 | 8.3% | +30.3% | +748.3% |
| Feb 2001 | May 2001 | 13 | 9.8% | +18.4% | +676.2% |
| Jun 2001 | Jul 2001 | 7 | 7.3% | +34.8% | +691.0% |
| Oct 2007 | Nov 2007 | 4 | 1.4% | +6.9% | +352.7% |
| Dec 2007 | Apr 2008 | 19 | 14.2% | -4.3% | +351.3% |
| May 2008 | May 2008 | 2 | 1.2% | -26.7% | +350.8% |
| Jun 2008 | Jul 2008 | 7 | 7.2% | -28.0% | +349.2% |
| Oct 2008 | Mar 2010 | 73 | 51.0% | -13.7% | +382.5% |
| Aug 2010 | Sep 2010 | 6 | 5.5% | +3.4% | +408.9% |
| Mar 2011 | Mar 2011 | 1 | 2.8% | +23.3% | +398.4% |
| Jul 2011 | Aug 2011 | 4 | 3.0% | +16.3% | +392.4% |
| Sep 2011 | Sep 2011 | 1 | 0.6% | +14.1% | +394.4% |
| Jan 2016 | Jan 2016 | 1 | 0.4% | +45.4% | +234.0% |
| Jan 2018 | Jul 2018 | 26 | 13.0% | +12.6% | +168.6% |
| Oct 2019 | Feb 2020 | 15 | 3.4% | -11.1% | +149.4% |
| Feb 2020 | Dec 2020 | 41 | 27.7% | +42.8% | +175.8% |
| May 2022 | May 2022 | 1 | 2.5% | -30.8% | +128.9% |
| Jun 2022 | Jan 2024 | 84 | 38.6% | -34.0% | +126.5% |
| Jan 2024 | Feb 2024 | 1 | 4.1% | +31.5% | +155.7% |
| Average | 20 | — | +5.7% | — |
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 Friday close, 2026-02-02