Does Palo Alto Networks (PANW) stock go up or down depending on the month?
Palo Alto Networks month by month, year by year
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -3.9% | -15.9% | +7.7% | +11.9% | +57.1% | +21.1% | -2.7% | |||||
| 2025 | +1.4% | +3.3% | -10.4% | +9.5% | +2.9% | +6.4% | -15.2% | +9.7% | +6.9% | +8.2% | -13.7% | -3.1% |
| 2024 | +14.8% | -8.3% | -8.5% | +2.4% | +1.4% | +15.0% | -4.2% | +11.7% | -5.8% | +5.4% | +7.6% | -6.2% |
| 2023 | +13.7% | +18.7% | +6.0% | -8.7% | +16.9% | +19.7% | -2.2% | -2.7% | -3.6% | +3.7% | +21.4% | -0.1% |
| 2022 | -7.1% | +14.9% | +4.8% | -9.8% | -10.4% | -1.8% | +1.0% | +11.6% | -11.8% | +4.8% | -1.0% | -17.9% |
| 2021 | -1.3% | +2.2% | -10.1% | +9.7% | +2.8% | +2.1% | +7.6% | +15.5% | +3.9% | +6.3% | +7.4% | +1.8% |
| 2020 | +1.5% | -21.4% | -11.2% | +19.8% | +19.7% | -2.4% | +11.4% | +0.6% | -4.9% | -9.6% | +32.9% | +20.9% |
| 2019 | +14.0% | +14.6% | -1.4% | +2.4% | -19.6% | +1.8% | +11.2% | -10.1% | +0.1% | +11.6% | -0.1% | +1.8% |
| 2018 | +8.9% | +9.8% | +4.7% | +6.0% | +8.1% | -1.3% | -3.5% | +16.6% | -2.6% | -18.7% | -5.5% | +8.9% |
| 2017 | +18.0% | +3.0% | -25.8% | -3.8% | +9.4% | +12.9% | -1.5% | +0.7% | +8.6% | +2.1% | -1.0% | -0.5% |
| 2016 | -15.1% | -3.2% | +12.7% | -7.5% | -13.6% | -6.0% | +6.8% | +1.7% | +19.7% | -3.5% | -12.6% | -7.0% |
| 2015 | +3.1% | +12.5% | +2.7% | +1.1% | +14.7% | +3.1% | +6.4% | -11.6% | +4.7% | -6.4% | +16.4% | -6.0% |
| 2014 | +3.4% | +19.7% | -3.6% | -7.3% | +17.7% | +12.0% | -3.6% | +5.0% | +15.5% | +7.8% | +16.3% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | +10.4% | -7.5% | -4.3% | -10.3% | -13.1% | +16.1% | -2.0% | -4.5% | -8.0% | +18.3% | +15.1% | |
| Average | +4.0% | +4.3% | -2.9% | +1.5% | +6.9% | +5.0% | +2.0% | +3.6% | +2.0% | +0.3% | +6.7% | +0.6% |
| % of years up | 69% | 71% | 43% | 57% | 71% | 64% | 50% | 69% | 54% | 62% | 54% | 38% |
| Years observed | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Palo Alto Networks month by month: the summary
Over 2013-2026, here's what Palo Alto Networks (PANW) stock did each month, on average: January +4.0% (up 69% of 13 years), February +4.3% (up 71% of 14 years), March -2.9% (up 43% of 14 years), April +1.5% (up 57% of 14 years), May +6.9% (up 71% of 14 years), June +5.0% (up 64% of 14 years), July +2.0% (up 50% of 14 years), August +3.6% (up 69% of 13 years), September +2.0% (up 54% of 13 years), October +0.3% (up 62% of 13 years), November +6.7% (up 54% of 13 years), December +0.6% (up 38% of 13 years). In other words, PANW historically rose in January, February, April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December, and fell in March.
Does Palo Alto Networks really go up in May?
Over 2013-2026, May is Palo Alto Networks's strongest month: +6.9% on average, positive in 10 of 14 years. At the other end, March shows -2.9%. 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 Palo Alto Networks stock go up or down in February?
Over 14 years, PANW rose +4.3% on average in February, finishing the month up 10 times out of 14 (71%). Median: +6.6%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Palo Alto Networks stock go up or down in August?
Over 13 years, PANW rose +3.6% on average in August, finishing the month up 9 times out of 13 (69%). Median: +1.7%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Palo Alto Networks stock go up or down in November?
Over 13 years, PANW rose +6.7% on average in November, finishing the month up 7 times out of 13 (54%). Median: +7.4%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Palo Alto Networks stock go up or down in June?
Over 14 years, PANW rose +5.0% on average in June, finishing the month up 9 times out of 14 (64%). Median: +2.6%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Palo Alto Networks stock go up or down in January?
Over 13 years, PANW rose +4.0% on average in January, finishing the month up 9 times out of 13 (69%). Median: +3.1%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Palo Alto Networks stock go up or down in September?
Over 13 years, PANW rose +2.0% on average in September, finishing the month up 7 times out of 13 (54%). Median: +0.1%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
What is the best month to buy Palo Alto Networks stock?
Historically, May: over the last 14 years, PANW gained +6.9% on average that month and finished up 71% of the time (14 years observed). March is the weakest month (-2.9%). This is not a prediction: 14 years is a small sample, and the past is under no obligation to repeat.
Why does Palo Alto Networks stock often rise in May?
May has averaged as its best month over 14 years (+6.9%, 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 PANW it's May (+6.9% 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 PANW, February is the most consistent month (71% 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 PANW'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.