Does Microsoft (MSFT) stock go up or down depending on the month?
Microsoft month by month, year by year
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -11.0% | -8.7% | -5.7% | +10.2% | +10.4% | -17.2% | +24.6% | |||||
| 2025 | -1.5% | -4.4% | -5.4% | +5.3% | +16.5% | +8.0% | +7.3% | -5.0% | +2.2% | -0.0% | -5.0% | -1.7% |
| 2024 | +5.7% | +4.0% | +1.7% | -7.5% | +6.6% | +7.7% | -6.4% | -0.3% | +3.2% | -5.6% | +4.2% | -0.5% |
| 2023 | +3.3% | +0.6% | +15.6% | +6.6% | +6.9% | +3.7% | -1.4% | -2.4% | -3.7% | +7.1% | +12.1% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | -7.5% | -3.9% | +3.2% | -10.0% | -2.0% | -5.5% | +9.3% | -6.9% | -10.9% | -0.3% | +9.9% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | +4.3% | +0.2% | +1.5% | +7.0% | -1.0% | +8.5% | +5.2% | +6.0% | -6.6% | +17.6% | -0.3% | +1.7% |
| 2020 | +7.9% | -4.8% | -2.7% | +13.6% | +2.3% | +11.1% | +0.7% | +10.0% | -6.7% | -3.7% | +5.7% | +3.9% |
| 2019 | +2.8% | +7.3% | +5.3% | +10.7% | -5.3% | +8.3% | +1.7% | +1.2% | +0.8% | +3.1% | +5.6% | +4.2% |
| 2018 | +11.1% | -1.3% | -2.7% | +2.5% | +5.7% | -0.2% | +7.6% | +5.9% | +1.8% | -6.6% | +3.8% | -8.4% |
| 2017 | +4.0% | -1.0% | +2.9% | +3.9% | +2.0% | -1.3% | +5.5% | +2.8% | -0.4% | +11.7% | +1.2% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | -0.7% | -7.6% | +8.5% | -9.7% | +6.3% | -3.5% | +10.8% | +1.4% | +0.2% | +4.0% | +0.6% | +3.1% |
| 2015 | -13.0% | +8.5% | -7.3% | +19.6% | -3.7% | -5.8% | +5.8% | -6.8% | +1.7% | +18.9% | +3.2% | +2.1% |
| 2014 | +1.1% | +1.2% | +7.0% | -1.4% | +1.3% | +1.9% | +3.5% | +5.3% | +2.0% | +1.3% | +1.8% | -2.8% |
| 2013 | +1.3% | +2.9% | +15.7% | +5.4% | -1.0% | -7.8% | +4.9% | -0.4% | +6.4% | +7.7% | -1.9% | |
| Average | +0.5% | -0.6% | +1.8% | +4.7% | +3.7% | +1.0% | +4.7% | +1.2% | -1.3% | +4.1% | +3.9% | -0.4% |
| % of years up | 62% | 50% | 64% | 71% | 71% | 50% | 79% | 62% | 54% | 62% | 85% | 46% |
| Years observed | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Microsoft month by month: the summary
Over 2013-2026, here's what Microsoft (MSFT) stock did each month, on average: January +0.5% (up 62% of 13 years), February -0.6% (up 50% of 14 years), March +1.8% (up 64% of 14 years), April +4.7% (up 71% of 14 years), May +3.7% (up 71% of 14 years), June +1.0% (up 50% of 14 years), July +4.7% (up 79% of 14 years), August +1.2% (up 62% of 13 years), September -1.3% (up 54% of 13 years), October +4.1% (up 62% of 13 years), November +3.9% (up 85% of 13 years), December -0.4% (up 46% of 13 years). In other words, MSFT historically rose in January, March, April, May, June, July, August, October, November, and fell in February, September, December.
Does Microsoft really go up in April?
Over 2013-2026, April is Microsoft's strongest month: +4.7% on average, positive in 10 of 14 years. At the other end, September shows -1.3%. 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 Microsoft stock go up or down in November?
Over 13 years, MSFT rose +3.9% on average in November, finishing the month up 11 times out of 13 (85%). Median: +3.8%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Microsoft stock go up or down in August?
Over 13 years, MSFT rose +1.2% on average in August, finishing the month up 8 times out of 13 (62%). Median: +1.4%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Microsoft stock go up or down in July?
Over 14 years, MSFT rose +4.7% on average in July, finishing the month up 11 times out of 14 (79%). Median: +5.3%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Microsoft stock go up or down in October?
Over 13 years, MSFT rose +4.1% on average in October, finishing the month up 8 times out of 13 (62%). Median: +3.1%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Microsoft stock go up or down in May?
Over 14 years, MSFT rose +3.7% on average in May, finishing the month up 10 times out of 14 (71%). Median: +3.8%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Microsoft stock go up or down in March?
Over 14 years, MSFT rose +1.8% on average in March, finishing the month up 9 times out of 14 (64%). Median: +2.3%. 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 Microsoft stock?
Historically, April: over the last 14 years, MSFT gained +4.7% on average that month and finished up 71% of the time (14 years observed). September is the weakest month (-1.3%). This is not a prediction: 14 years is a small sample, and the past is under no obligation to repeat.
Why does Microsoft stock often rise in April?
April has averaged as its best month over 14 years (+4.7%, up 71% of years). No clearly established recurring seasonal driver explains this month — it's a statistical tendency over 14 years of history, not a prediction.
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 MSFT it's April (+4.7% 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 MSFT, November is the most consistent month (85% 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 MSFT'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.