The takeaway
Vertex shows a pronounced seasonal pattern over 6 years of data — strongest in October (+6.2%) and softest in January (−5.0%).
Right now
In July, the stock has risen 50% of years, averaging +0.8%, roughly 1.4 pts behind the S&P 500.
The full picture
Vertex's most dependable month has been October, higher in 5 of 6 years; January has been its least reliable, up just 20% of the time.
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Win rate % | ||||||||||||
| Median return % | ||||||||||||
| 2025 | ||||||||||||
| 2024 | ||||||||||||
| 2023 | ||||||||||||
| 2022 | ||||||||||||
| 2021 | ||||||||||||
| 2020 | — | — | — | — | — | — |
Month by month
The stock's clearest edge over the S&P 500 lands in October (+5.2 pts); it has trailed the market most in April (−6.3 pts).
“vs S&P” is Vertex’s average for a month minus the S&P 500’s average for that same month — isolating Vertex’s own seasonal edge from broad market drift.
Reality check
Over the last 5 years, October has closed higher 80% of the time versus 83% across the last 6 years — the pattern is holding.
Figures are the typical (median) October return and how often it rose — the last 5 years versus the last 6(the heatmap’s default window). This verdict stays anchored to that 6-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: October, up in 5 of 6 Octobers while the other eleven tend to blur together.
A typical October brings +4.2%, a shade under the +6.2% average. That reliability comes with real swings, mind — even October ranges by 10.7% from year to year, so any single year can land far from the average. Crucially, the gain is the stock's own rather than a rising tide's: October has cleared the S&P 500 by +5.2 points above the index. That consistency sets it apart from the field, where the average stock manages October only about 53% of the time.
A few other months pull their weight: February, March, and June have also closed higher more often than not. On the other side of the ledger, January has been the soft spot — the weakest of 4 months that average a loss (−5.0%), and the edge isn't year-round — the stock has trailed the S&P 500 in April, January, and May. Its roughest month on record was a −43.9% February in 2025 — a reminder of how hard even a seasonal name can fall.
A long streak recently broke — October had risen 5 years straight before a −6.7% reading in 2025. 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: October aside, the stock's months offer little reliable tilt. With a short 6-year record and returns that swing hard year to year, the signal is best held loosely.
Short answers on the stock's best month (October), its worst (January), and whether it really trades seasonally.
Yes, to a pronounced degree. Since 2020 its best month (October, +6.2%) has run well ahead of its worst (January, −5.0%) — the heatmap above shows how steady that gap has been year to year.
October has been the strongest, averaging +6.2% and closing higher in 5 of 6 years since 2020.
It's the weakest, averaging −5.0% — 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