Monthly market returns are based on a wide variety of factors and fluctuate from year to year. While conditions are constantly evolving, it can be interesting to note the trends that months fall into.
For instance, over the last 31 years, the months of December and April have been best for market returns. December posted positive returns 79% of the time; April 74.3%. In contrast, June and August were the worst performers, with June ending positive only 36.7% of the time and August 49.3%. The June and August numbers helped create the motto: “Sell in May and Go Away.”
However, we all know that market timing rarely works and is never a solid investment strategy. Case in point: the remaining months of the year were positive anywhere from 51.6% to 68.6% of the time. In other words, you’ve got a better than 1:2 chance that any given month will post gains.
Source: www.horsesmouth.com, “The Best Months for Stock Market Gains”, June 1, 2022