The takeaway
Morgan Stanley ETF Trust shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 3 years of data — strongest in November (+2.1%) and softest in March (−1.0%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 50% of years, averaging +0.5%, roughly 1.6 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
Morgan Stanley ETF Trust's most dependable month has been November, higher in 3 of 3 years; March has been its least reliable, up just 0% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in September (+1.9 pts); it has trailed the market most in April (−2.5 pts).
“vs S&P” is Morgan Stanley ETF Trust’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Morgan Stanley ETF Trust’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 3 years, November has closed higher 100% of the time versus 100% across the last 3 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) November return and how often it rose — the last 3 years versus the last 3(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 3-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. November stands out, higher in all 3 Novembers, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
Its average (+2.1%) and median (+1.8%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. Set against the S&P 500, mind, November is close to a wash — the gain mirrors the market more than it beats it. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages November only about 62% of the time.
The strength clusters rather than stands alone — September–January forms a firm stretch that carries much of the year. On the other side of the ledger, March has been the soft spot — the weakest of 2 months that average a loss (−1.0%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in April, March, and July.
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 3-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (November), its worst (March), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2023 its best month (November, +2.1%) has run well ahead of its worst (March, −1.0%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
November has been the strongest, averaging +2.1% and closing higher in all 3 years on record since 2023.
It's the weakest, averaging −1.0% — 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