The takeaway
American Beacon Select Funds shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 2 years of data — strongest in September (+10.3%) and softest in October (−0.8%).
Right now
In July, the fund has fallen 0% of years, averaging −0.3%, roughly 2.5 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
American Beacon Select Funds's most dependable month has been September, higher in 2 of 2 years; October 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 | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in September (+10.5 pts); it has trailed the market most in December (−3.7 pts).
“vs S&P” is American Beacon Select Funds’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating American Beacon Select Funds’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Not enough recent September history to say whether the pattern still holds.
Figures are the typical (median) September return and how often it rose — the last 2 years versus the last 2(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 2-year window even if you zoom the chart, so it never disagrees with the badges above.
In plain English
This is a fund you can almost set a calendar by, and September is the anchor — it has closed higher in all 2 Septembers, the steadiest beat on its year.
The strength looks broad-based rather than freakish: its average (+10.3%) and median (+10.3%) sit close together, so no single blow-out year is flattering the figure. Better still, that strength is the fund's own and not just a buoyant market — September has outpaced the S&P 500 by +10.5 points on average. It is the more striking for the company it keeps — September is a losing month for most of the market, where barely 39% of names gain ground.
It doesn't stand entirely alone — January, March, and May have leaned firm as well, if less emphatically. The weaker half of the year is plainer: October has been the soft spot — the weakest of 2 months that average a loss (−0.8%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in December, July, and October.
For a fund this dependable in September, the sharper question is the rest of the year — outside its strong stretch, the calendar gives far less to lean on. With a short 2-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (September), its worst (October), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2024 its best month (September, +10.3%) has run well ahead of its worst (October, −0.8%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
September has been the strongest, averaging +10.3% and closing higher in all 2 years on record since 2024.
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