KEY
TAKEAWAYS
- “Promote in Could” is much less about weak spot within the spring and extra about weak spot within the autumn months.
- Because the COVID low, the S&P 500 has often been fairly sturdy in Could-June-July.
- We’re watching the SPX 5750 degree together with different indicators to validate a possible seasonal reversal.
We have all heard the traditional market maxim, “Promote in Could and go away.” For a lot of buyers, that is the introduction to market seasonality that means a six-month interval the place it is simply finest to keep away from shares altogether.
By way of my very own expertise, complemented with interviews with seasonality specialists like Jeff Hirsch of the Inventory Merchants Almanac, I’ve realized to deal with seasonal patterns as tendencies as a substitute of certainties. Seasonal patterns let you know what’s prone to occur, barring any exterior forces that will trigger the markets to deviate from their regular seasonal patterns.
“Promote in Could” is Actually About Weak point in Autumn
We are able to use the seasonality charts on StockCharts to try to establish patterns going again by years of market historical past. We’ll begin with 20 years of information, from 2005 to 2024. Every bar represents the p.c of the observations the place the month ended greater than it started. The numbers discovered on the backside of every bar exhibits the typical return for that calendar month based mostly on the years in query.
Going again for the final 20 years, we will see that the March-April-Could interval is definitely pretty sturdy. These months have been up 75-80% of the time, representing probably the most constant three-month interval of all. However did you discover how the subsequent 5 months, apart from a fairly sturdy July, are mainly the weakest a part of the 12 months?
Be part of us for a FREE webinar on Wednesday 5/21 at 1:00PM ET as we current “Promote in Could 2025: Seasonal Technique or Outdated Fable?” We’ll dig deeper into the historical past of “Promote in Could,” analyze summer time developments in recent times, and deal with indicators to comply with within the weeks and months forward! Enroll HERE for this free occasion!
It seems that the explanation why “promote in Could” has usually labored out is much less about Could being tremendous weak, however extra about how main lows have often come within the fall months. Because the COVID low in early 2020, we have skilled main lows in September or October yearly aside from 2024.
Spring and Early Summer time Have Been Loopy Sturdy
After we deal with the final 5 years, we will see that the Could-June-July interval has been constantly sturdy. In truth, Could and July have seen bullish developments yearly since 2019. So, whereas buyers usually discuss concerning the “summer time doldrums” and weak spot into the recent summer time months, the latest proof would counsel in any other case.
The weakest months for the reason that COVID low have truly been January, February, September, and October. So once more, it has been much less about weak spot within the spring, and far more about weaker value motion into the standard low in September or October. Additionally observe the energy in November, the place the market is nearly at all times rallying off a serious low and establishing for a constructive end to the calendar 12 months!
Will 2025 Observe the Regular Seasonal Sample?
As I discussed earlier, I like to consider seasonal patterns as tendencies. There isn’t any assure that July shall be sturdy, and there’s no method I can let you know for positive that the market will make yet one more main low in September. Seasonality tells you the overall bias to the markets, however aware buyers know an important proof is value itself.
Given the intense rally off the early April low, we have seen a fast rotation from bearish sentiment to extra bullish outlooks as buyers have began to consider within the new uptrend section. This week’s value hole greater for the S&P 500 might present an ideal help vary to observe within the coming weeks and months.
If the S&P 500 is ready to maintain 5750 and stay above the help vary set from the hole earlier this month, then maybe the fairness markets will comply with the identical sample as latest years and stay sturdy into August. If, nevertheless, the S&P 500 is unable to carry this key help vary, and we additionally verify that breakdown with weaker momentum readings and deteriorating breadth circumstances, then the S&P 500 could also be charting a brand new course by what has change into a robust interval within the calendar 12 months.
RR#6,
Dave
P.S. Able to improve your funding course of? Try my free behavioral investing course!
David Keller, CMT
President and Chief Strategist
Sierra Alpha Analysis LLC
https://www.youtube.com/c/MarketMisbehavior
Disclaimer: This weblog is for academic functions solely and shouldn’t be construed as monetary recommendation. The concepts and techniques ought to by no means be used with out first assessing your individual private and monetary scenario, or with out consulting a monetary skilled.
The writer doesn’t have a place in talked about securities on the time of publication. Any opinions expressed herein are solely these of the writer and don’t in any method characterize the views or opinions of some other particular person or entity.

David Keller, CMT is President and Chief Strategist at Sierra Alpha Analysis LLC, the place he helps energetic buyers make higher selections utilizing behavioral finance and technical evaluation. Dave is a CNBC Contributor, and he recaps market exercise and interviews main specialists on his “Market Misbehavior” YouTube channel. A former President of the CMT Affiliation, Dave can be a member of the Technical Securities Analysts Affiliation San Francisco and the Worldwide Federation of Technical Analysts. He was previously a Managing Director of Analysis at Constancy Investments, the place he managed the famend Constancy Chart Room, and Chief Market Strategist at StockCharts, persevering with the work of legendary technical analyst John Murphy.
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