The takeaway
SPDR® Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in November (+5.3%) and softest in October (−0.4%).
Right now
In July, the fund has risen 80% of years, averaging +3.5%, about +1.4 pts better than the S&P 500.
The full picture
SPDR® Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF's most dependable month has been November, higher in 8 of 10 years; October has been its least reliable, up just 40% of the time.
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Month by month
The fund's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in November (+3.0 pts); it has trailed the market most in March (−3.5 pts).
“vs S&P” is SPDR® Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating SPDR® Portfolio S&P 600 Small Cap ETF’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
Dependability is the through-line here. November stands out, higher in 8 of 10 Novembers, but it heads a clutch of months that pull the year reliably upward.
A typical November brings +3.6%, a shade under the +5.3% average. Crucially, the gain is the fund's own rather than a rising tide's: November has cleared the S&P 500 by +3.0 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages November only about 62% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: February, April, and May have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, October is the year's quietest corner, essentially flat on average, and the edge isn't year-round — the fund has trailed the S&P 500 in March, October, and September. Its roughest month on record was a −24.5% 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 fund's months offer little reliable tilt.
Short answers on the fund's best month (November), its worst (October), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (November, +5.3%) has run well ahead of its worst (October, −0.4%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
November has been the strongest, averaging +5.3% 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