The takeaway
Universal Corporation shows a moderate seasonal pattern over 10 years of data — strongest in March (+2.6%) and softest in January (−1.6%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 60% of years, averaging +0.9%, roughly 1.3 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
Universal Corporation's most dependable month has been March, higher in 7 of 10 years; January 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 May (+3.3 pts); it has trailed the market most in August (−4.6 pts).
“vs S&P” is Universal Corporation’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Universal Corporation’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, March has closed higher 100% of the time versus 70% across the last 10 years — the pattern is strengthening.
Figures are the typical (median) March 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: March, up in 7 of 10 Marches while the other eleven tend to blur together.
Its average (+2.6%) and median (+3.4%) land within a hair of each other — the tell of steady, year-after-year gains rather than one outlier doing the work. Crucially, the gain is the stock's own rather than a rising tide's: March has cleared the S&P 500 by +1.6 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages March only about 56% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: February, July, and November have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, January has been the soft spot — the weakest of 5 months that average a loss (−1.6%), and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in August, June, and October. Its roughest month on record was a −19.7% February in 2024 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
March has now closed higher 5 years running. If anything it has sharpened recently — the last five Marches run ahead of the earlier years.
The takeaway is less about when to buy than what to expect: March aside, the stock's months offer little reliable tilt.
Short answers on the stock's best month (March), its worst (January), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a moderate degree. Since 2016 its best month (March, +2.6%) has run well ahead of its worst (January, −1.6%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
March has been the strongest, averaging +2.6% and closing higher in 7 of 10 years since 2016.
It's the weakest, averaging −1.6% — 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