The takeaway
ServiceNow Inc shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in October (+4.2%) and softest in February (−2.9%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 60% of years, averaging +2.2% — essentially in line with the S&P 500.
The full picture
ServiceNow Inc's most dependable month has been October, higher in 8 of 10 years; February 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 January (+7.0 pts); it has trailed the market most in March (−3.6 pts).
“vs S&P” is ServiceNow Inc’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating ServiceNow Inc’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, October has closed higher 100% of the time versus 80% across the last 10 years — the pattern is strengthening.
Figures are the typical (median) October 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
This is a stock you can almost set a calendar by, and October is the anchor — it has closed higher in 8 of 10 Octobers, the steadiest beat on its year.
The strength looks broad-based rather than freakish: its average (+4.2%) and median (+6.1%) sit close together, so no single blow-out year is flattering the figure. Few months are steadier: October's returns vary by just 5.4% year to year. Better still, that strength is the stock's own and not just a buoyant market — October has outpaced the S&P 500 by +3.2 points on average. Few peers keep such company in October — the typical stock clears it just 53% of the time.
It doesn't stand entirely alone — January, April, and June have leaned firm as well, if less emphatically. On the other side of the ledger, February has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−2.9%), and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in March, February, and December. Its roughest month on record was a −26.0% January in 2016 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
October has now closed higher 6 years running. If anything it has sharpened recently — the last five Octobers run ahead of the earlier years.
For a stock this dependable in October, the sharper question is the rest of the year — outside its strong stretch, the calendar gives far less to lean on.
Short answers on the stock's best month (October), its worst (February), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (October, +4.2%) has run well ahead of its worst (February, −2.9%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
October has been the strongest, averaging +4.2% and closing higher in 8 of 10 years since 2016.
It's the weakest, averaging −2.9% — 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