The takeaway
Dimensional US Real Estate ETF shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 4 years of data — strongest in November (+6.1%) and softest in April (−3.2%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 75% of years, averaging +3.4%, about +1.2 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
Dimensional US Real Estate ETF's most dependable month has been November, higher in 4 of 4 years; April has been its least reliable, up just 25% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in November (+3.7 pts); it has trailed the market most in April (−4.8 pts).
“vs S&P” is Dimensional US Real Estate ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Dimensional US Real Estate ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 4 years, November has closed higher 100% of the time versus 100% across the last 4 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) November return and how often it rose — the last 4 years versus the last 4(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 4-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
Strip the year back and a single month does the heavy lifting: November, up in all 4 Novembers while the other eleven tend to blur together.
Its average (+6.1%) and median (+5.5%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. It is among its calmest months, too, its returns swinging least from year to year (a 3.2% spread), and even its worst November in 4 years lost only 2.3% — the gentlest downside anywhere on its calendar. Crucially, the gain is the fund's own rather than a rising tide's: November has cleared the S&P 500 by +3.7 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages November only about 62% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: January and July have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, April has been the soft spot — the weakest of 4 months that average a loss (−3.2%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in April, September, and December. Its roughest month on record was a −12.9% September in 2022 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: November aside, the fund's months offer little reliable tilt. With a short 4-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (November), its worst (April), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2022 its best month (November, +6.1%) has run well ahead of its worst (April, −3.2%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
November has been the strongest, averaging +6.1% and closing higher in all 4 years on record since 2022.
It's the weakest, averaging −3.2% — 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