The takeaway
Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 9 years of data — strongest in April (+2.9%) and softest in June (−0.8%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 63% of years, averaging +1.4%, roughly 0.7 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF's most dependable month has been April, higher in 7 of 8 years; June has been its least reliable, up just 38% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
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| 2017 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in January (+2.1 pts); it has trailed the market most in March (−2.5 pts).
“vs S&P” is Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Franklin FTSE United Kingdom ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, April has closed higher 80% of the time versus 88% across the last 9 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) April return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 9(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 9-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: April, up in 7 of 8 Aprils while the other eleven tend to blur together.
Its average (+2.9%) and median (+2.2%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. Crucially, the gain is the fund's own rather than a rising tide's: April has cleared the S&P 500 by +1.2 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages April only about 55% of the time.
The strength clusters rather than stands alone — March–May forms a firm stretch that carries much of the year. At the other end of the calendar, June has been the soft spot — the weakest of 4 months that average a loss (−0.8%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in March, October, and June. Its roughest month on record was a −19.6% 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.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: April aside, the fund's months offer little reliable tilt. With a short 9-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (April), its worst (June), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2017 its best month (April, +2.9%) has run well ahead of its worst (June, −0.8%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
April has been the strongest, averaging +2.9% and closing higher in 7 of 8 years since 2017.
It's the weakest, averaging −0.8% — 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