The takeaway
General American Investors Closed Fund shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in July (+3.3%) and softest in October (−0.5%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 100% of years, averaging +3.3%, about +1.1 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
General American Investors Closed Fund's most dependable month has been July, higher in 10 of 10 years; October has been its least reliable, up just 40% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | ||||||||||||
| 2019 | ||||||||||||
| 2018 | ||||||||||||
| 2017 | ||||||||||||
| 2016 |
Month by month
The stock's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in November (+2.2 pts); it has trailed the market most in October (−1.5 pts).
“vs S&P” is General American Investors Closed Fund’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating General American Investors Closed Fund’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, July has closed higher 100% of the time versus 100% across the last 10 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) July 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. July stands out, higher in all 10 Julys, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
Its average (+3.3%) and median (+2.9%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. It is also the calendar's calmest month, its returns swinging least from year to year (a 2.0% spread), and even its worst July in 10 years lost only 0.3% — the gentlest downside anywhere on its calendar. Crucially, the gain is the stock's own rather than a rising tide's: July has cleared the S&P 500 by +1.1 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages July only about 61% of the time.
The strength clusters rather than stands alone — March–August forms a firm stretch that carries much of the year. At the other end of the calendar, October has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−0.5%), and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in October, March, and December. Its roughest month on record was a −21.6% March in 2020 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
July has now closed higher 10 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: July aside, the stock's months offer little reliable tilt.
Short answers on the stock's best month (July), its worst (October), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (July, +3.3%) has run well ahead of its worst (October, −0.5%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
July has been the strongest, averaging +3.3% and closing higher in all 10 years on record since 2016.
It's the weakest, averaging −0.5% — 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