The takeaway
CRA International Inc shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in February (+6.7%) and softest in January (−1.2%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 70% of years, averaging +4.3%, about +2.2 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
CRA International Inc's most dependable month has been February, higher in 9 of 10 years; January has been its least reliable, up just 40% of the time.
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Month by month
The stock's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in February (+6.9 pts); it has trailed the market most in March (−2.2 pts).
“vs S&P” is CRA International Inc’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating CRA International Inc’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, February has closed higher 100% of the time versus 90% across the last 10 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) February return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 10(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 10-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
Dependability is the through-line here. February stands out, higher in 9 of 10 Februaries, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
Its average (+6.7%) and median (+6.0%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. That reliability comes with real swings, mind — even February ranges by 9.6% from year to year, so any single year can land far from the average. Crucially, the gain is the stock's own rather than a rising tide's: February has cleared the S&P 500 by +6.9 points above the index. It bucks the broad tape, besides: February lifts just 49% of stocks across the market.
A few other months pull their weight: April, May, and June have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, January has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−1.2%), and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in March, May, and January. Its roughest month on record was a −27.9% May in 2019 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
February has now closed higher 5 years running. Reassuringly, the tendency has held its shape: the recent five years still track the years behind them.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: February aside, the stock's months offer little reliable tilt.
Short answers on the stock's best month (February), its worst (January), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (February, +6.7%) has run well ahead of its worst (January, −1.2%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
February has been the strongest, averaging +6.7% and closing higher in 9 of 10 years since 2016.
It's the weakest, averaging −1.2% — 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