The takeaway
Putnam ETF Trust - Putnam BDC Income ETF shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 4 years of data — strongest in May (+4.0%) and softest in March (−0.8%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 100% of years, averaging +2.7%, about +0.5 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
Putnam ETF Trust - Putnam BDC Income ETF's most dependable month has been May, higher in 3 of 3 years; March has been its least reliable, up just 33% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in January (+4.1 pts); it has trailed the market most in April (−2.7 pts).
“vs S&P” is Putnam ETF Trust - Putnam BDC Income ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Putnam ETF Trust - Putnam BDC Income ETF’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 3 years, May has closed higher 100% of the time versus 100% across the last 4 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) May return and how often it rose — the last 3 years versus the last 4(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 4-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. May stands out, higher in all 3 Mays, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
A typical May brings +2.7%, a shade under the +4.0% average. Crucially, the gain is the fund's own rather than a rising tide's: May has cleared the S&P 500 by +3.3 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages May only about 55% of the time.
The lift is near-universal — strength runs through almost every month of the year, not one window. At the other end of the calendar, March has been the soft spot — the weakest of 3 months that average a loss (−0.8%), and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in April, March, and September.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: May aside, the fund's months offer little reliable tilt. With a short 4-year record, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the fund's best month (May), its worst (March), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2022 its best month (May, +4.0%) has run well ahead of its worst (March, −0.8%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
May has been the strongest, averaging +4.0% and closing higher in all 3 years on record since 2022.
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