Does Apple Inc. (AAPL) stock go up or down depending on the month?
Apple Inc. month by month, year by year
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -4.6% | +1.8% | -3.9% | +6.9% | +15.0% | -7.3% | +6.8% | |||||
| 2025 | -5.8% | +2.5% | -8.2% | -4.3% | -5.5% | +2.2% | +1.2% | +11.8% | +9.7% | +6.2% | +3.1% | -2.5% |
| 2024 | -4.2% | -2.0% | -5.1% | -0.7% | +12.9% | +9.6% | +5.4% | +3.1% | +1.7% | -3.0% | +5.1% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | +11.1% | +2.2% | +11.9% | +2.9% | +4.5% | +9.4% | +1.3% | -4.4% | -8.9% | -0.3% | +11.2% | +1.4% |
| 2022 | -1.6% | -5.5% | +5.7% | -9.7% | -5.6% | -8.1% | +18.9% | -3.3% | -12.1% | +11.0% | -3.5% | -12.2% |
| 2021 | -0.6% | -8.1% | +0.7% | +7.6% | -5.2% | +9.9% | +6.5% | +4.1% | -6.8% | +5.9% | +10.3% | +7.4% |
| 2020 | +5.4% | -11.7% | -7.0% | +15.5% | +8.2% | +14.7% | +16.5% | +21.4% | -10.3% | -6.0% | +9.4% | +11.5% |
| 2019 | +5.5% | +4.0% | +9.7% | +5.6% | -12.8% | +13.0% | +7.6% | -2.0% | +7.3% | +11.1% | +7.4% | +9.9% |
| 2018 | -1.1% | +6.4% | -5.8% | -1.5% | +13.1% | -0.9% | +2.8% | +19.6% | -0.8% | -3.0% | -18.4% | -11.7% |
| 2017 | +4.8% | +12.9% | +4.9% | -0.0% | +6.3% | -5.7% | +3.2% | +10.3% | -6.0% | +9.7% | +1.7% | -1.5% |
| 2016 | -7.6% | -0.7% | +12.7% | -14.0% | +6.6% | -4.3% | +9.0% | +1.8% | +6.6% | +0.5% | -2.7% | +4.8% |
| 2015 | +6.2% | +9.7% | -3.1% | +0.6% | +4.1% | -3.7% | -3.3% | -7.1% | -2.2% | +8.3% | -1.0% | -11.0% |
| 2014 | -10.8% | +5.1% | +2.0% | +9.9% | +7.3% | +2.7% | +2.9% | +7.2% | -1.7% | +7.2% | +10.1% | -7.2% |
| 2013 | -3.1% | +0.3% | +0.0% | +1.6% | -11.8% | +14.1% | +7.7% | -2.1% | +9.6% | +6.4% | +0.9% | |
| Average | -0.2% | +1.0% | +1.1% | +1.3% | +3.6% | +1.4% | +6.6% | +5.4% | -2.0% | +4.4% | +3.0% | -0.4% |
| % of years up | 38% | 57% | 57% | 50% | 71% | 50% | 93% | 69% | 31% | 69% | 69% | 54% |
| Years observed | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Apple Inc. month by month: the summary
Over 2013-2026, here's what Apple Inc. (AAPL) stock did each month, on average: January -0.2% (up 38% of 13 years), February +1.0% (up 57% of 14 years), March +1.1% (up 57% of 14 years), April +1.3% (up 50% of 14 years), May +3.6% (up 71% of 14 years), June +1.4% (up 50% of 14 years), July +6.6% (up 93% of 14 years), August +5.4% (up 69% of 13 years), September -2.0% (up 31% of 13 years), October +4.4% (up 69% of 13 years), November +3.0% (up 69% of 13 years), December -0.4% (up 54% of 13 years). In other words, AAPL historically rose in February, March, April, May, June, July, August, October, November, and fell in January, September, December.
Does Apple Inc. really go up in July?
Over 2013-2026, July is Apple Inc.'s strongest month: +6.6% on average, positive in 13 of 14 years. At the other end, September shows -2.0%. But a monthly gap is often built on one or two extreme years — the table above shows it: look at the spread, not just the average. Seasonality only means something when it has a cause (selling season, earnings calendar, year-end tax effects); with no identified cause, it's probably noise.
Frequently asked questions
Does Apple Inc. stock go up or down in August?
Over 13 years, AAPL rose +5.4% on average in August, finishing the month up 9 times out of 13 (69%). Median: +4.1%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Apple Inc. stock go up or down in October?
Over 13 years, AAPL rose +4.4% on average in October, finishing the month up 9 times out of 13 (69%). Median: +6.2%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Apple Inc. stock go up or down in May?
Over 14 years, AAPL rose +3.6% on average in May, finishing the month up 10 times out of 14 (71%). Median: +5.4%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Apple Inc. stock go up or down in November?
Over 13 years, AAPL rose +3.0% on average in November, finishing the month up 9 times out of 13 (69%). Median: +5.1%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Apple Inc. stock go up or down in June?
Over 14 years, AAPL rose +1.4% on average in June, finishing the month up 7 times out of 14 (50%). Median: +0.6%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Apple Inc. stock go up or down in April?
Over 14 years, AAPL rose +1.3% on average in April, finishing the month up 7 times out of 14 (50%). Median: +0.3%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
What is the best month to buy Apple Inc. stock?
Historically, July: over the last 14 years, AAPL gained +6.6% on average that month and finished up 93% of the time (14 years observed). September is the weakest month (-2.0%). This is not a prediction: 14 years is a small sample, and the past is under no obligation to repeat.
Does a new iPhone launch affect Apple's stock price?
Historically, over 14 years, September is Apple Inc.'s weakest month (-2.0% on average, up 31% of years). September, the month of Apple's iPhone keynote, is often linked to a “sell the news” move: anticipation fades once the new model is unveiled. ⚠️ This is a past tendency over a short history, not a rule — an iPhone launch is in no way a reliable signal. Use it as context, never as a buy plan.
Why does Apple Inc. stock often rise in July?
July has averaged as its best month over 14 years (+6.6%, up 93% of years). This month covers Apple's quarterly earnings release — a known driver of moves, and over this history it has tended to push the stock higher.
Is there a best month to invest in the stock market in general?
There's no universal rule: every stock has its own seasonality. For AAPL it's July (+6.6% on average over 14 years) — another stock will look completely different. The calendar effects people cite ("sell in May", the year-end rally) are market-wide averages, not laws: on AAPL, July is the most consistent month (93% positive years). We also rank all 12 months for the whole market.
Does stock seasonality actually work?
Careful. A month that rose 14 times out of 14 can simply be chance: with 12 months and a dozen years, patterns appear naturally even in random data. Seasonality describes what happened; it doesn't explain why and predicts nothing. Treat it as context, never as a standalone buy signal.
What data is this table based on?
On AAPL's real monthly closing prices from 2013 to 2026 (14 years), source Yahoo Finance. Each cell = the price change over that month. Price performance, excluding dividends. Incomplete months and quote gaps are excluded.