The takeaway
Mercantile Bank Corporation shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in November (+5.5%) and softest in August (−0.4%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 70% of years, averaging +5.5%, about +3.3 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
Mercantile Bank Corporation's most dependable month has been November, higher in 8 of 10 years; August has been its least reliable, up just 30% of the time.
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Month by month
The stock's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in October (+4.4 pts); it has trailed the market most in March (−5.4 pts).
“vs S&P” is Mercantile Bank Corporation’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Mercantile Bank Corporation’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, November has closed higher 80% of the time versus 80% across the last 10 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) November 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
Strip the year back and a single month does the heavy lifting: November, up in 8 of 10 Novembers while the other eleven tend to blur together.
A typical November brings +3.6%, a shade under the +5.5% average. Crucially, the gain is the stock's own rather than a rising tide's: November has cleared the S&P 500 by +3.2 points above the index. 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 — October–December forms a firm stretch that carries much of the year. On the other side of the ledger, August is the year's quietest corner, essentially flat on average, and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in March, September, and May. Its roughest month on record was a −29.2% 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: November aside, the stock's months offer little reliable tilt.
Short answers on the stock's best month (November), its worst (August), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (November, +5.5%) has run well ahead of its worst (August, −0.4%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
November has been the strongest, averaging +5.5% and closing higher in 8 of 10 years since 2016.
It's the weakest, averaging −0.4% — 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