The takeaway
ALPS Clean Energy shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 8 years of data — strongest in July (+6.8%) and softest in February (−3.0%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 88% of years, averaging +6.8%, about +4.6 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
ALPS Clean Energy's most dependable month has been July, higher in 7 of 8 years; February has been its least reliable, up just 29% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| 2018 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in July (+4.6 pts); it has trailed the market most in March (−4.9 pts).
“vs S&P” is ALPS Clean Energy’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating ALPS Clean Energy’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, July has closed higher 80% of the time versus 88% across the last 8 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) July return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 8(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 8-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
The seasonal story is really one month's story — July. It has closed higher in 7 of 8 Julys, a concentration the rest of the calendar can't touch.
A typical July brings +4.7%, a shade under the +6.8% average. Better still, that strength is the fund's own and not just a buoyant market — July has outpaced the S&P 500 by +4.6 points on average. Few peers keep such company in July — the typical stock clears it just 61% of the time.
July anchors a run, too: the May-through-July window has been the fund's reliable season. At the other end of the calendar, February has been the soft spot — the weakest of 6 months that average a loss (−3.0%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in March, April, and February. Its roughest month on record was a −25.4% March in 2020 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
Reassuringly, the tendency has held its shape: the recent five years still track the years behind them.
For a fund this dependable in July, the sharper question is the rest of the year — outside its strong stretch, the calendar gives far less to lean on. With a short 8-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (July), its worst (February), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2018 its best month (July, +6.8%) has run well ahead of its worst (February, −3.0%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
July has been the strongest, averaging +6.8% and closing higher in 7 of 8 years since 2018.
It's the weakest, averaging −3.0% — historically a soft spot, though it still varies from year to year.
Explore
These names have the strongest July track records on record — a starting point for comparison.
Before you trade