The takeaway
California Resources Corp shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 6 years of data — strongest in August (+12.2%) and softest in April (−7.3%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 60% of years, averaging +5.0%, about +2.8 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
California Resources Corp's most dependable month has been August, higher in 5 of 5 years; April has been its least reliable, up just 20% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
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| 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The stock's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in August (+11.9 pts); it has trailed the market most in April (−9.0 pts).
“vs S&P” is California Resources Corp’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating California Resources Corp’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, August has closed higher 100% of the time versus 100% across the last 6 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) August return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 6(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 6-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 — August. It has closed higher in all 5 Augusts, a concentration the rest of the calendar can't touch.
The strength looks broad-based rather than freakish: its average (+12.2%) and median (+9.6%) sit close together, so no single blow-out year is flattering the figure. Few months are steadier: August's returns vary by just 5.7% year to year, and even its worst August in 6 years lost only 6.9% — the gentlest downside anywhere on its calendar. Better still, that strength is the stock's own and not just a buoyant market — August has outpaced the S&P 500 by +11.9 points on average. Few peers keep such company in August — the typical stock clears it just 52% of the time.
August anchors a run, too: the May-through-September window has been the stock's reliable season. At the other end of the calendar, April has been the soft spot — the weakest of 4 months that average a loss (−7.3%), and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in April, January, and October. Its roughest month on record was a −23.8% April in 2025 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
August has now closed higher 5 years running.
For a stock this dependable in August, the sharper question is the rest of the year — outside its strong stretch, the calendar gives far less to lean on. With a short 6-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the stock's best month (August), its worst (April), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2020 its best month (August, +12.2%) has run well ahead of its worst (April, −7.3%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
August has been the strongest, averaging +12.2% and closing higher in all 5 years on record since 2020.
It's the weakest, averaging −7.3% — 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