The takeaway
iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 3 years of data — strongest in March (+9.1%) and softest in January (−2.2%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 33% of years, averaging +0.5%, roughly 1.6 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF's most dependable month has been March, higher in 2 of 2 years; January 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 (+9.6 pts); it has trailed the market most in October (−5.2 pts).
“vs S&P” is iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating iShares Copper and Metals Mining ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Not enough recent March history to say whether the pattern still holds.
Figures are the typical (median) March return and how often it rose — the last 2 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. March stands out, higher in all 2 Marches, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
Its average (+9.1%) and median (+9.1%) 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: March has cleared the S&P 500 by +8.1 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages March only about 56% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: May, June, and August have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, January has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−2.2%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in October, January, and July.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: March 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 (March), its worst (January), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2023 its best month (March, +9.1%) has run well ahead of its worst (January, −2.2%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
March has been the strongest, averaging +9.1% and closing higher in all 2 years on record since 2023.
It's the weakest, averaging −2.2% — 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