Does Paylocity (PCTY) stock go up or down depending on the month?
Paylocity month by month, year by year
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | -11.5% | -21.1% | +1.5% | -2.4% | +8.9% | -9.0% | +31.9% | |||||
| 2025 | +3.0% | -0.6% | -8.3% | +2.5% | -0.6% | -5.1% | +2.0% | -3.1% | -11.1% | -11.3% | +4.3% | +3.5% |
| 2024 | -3.9% | +6.4% | +1.9% | -9.7% | -8.4% | -7.3% | +13.8% | +7.5% | +2.2% | +11.9% | +12.4% | -3.9% |
| 2023 | +7.2% | -7.5% | +3.2% | -2.8% | -10.6% | +6.8% | +22.9% | -11.6% | -9.4% | -1.3% | -12.7% | +5.2% |
| 2022 | -13.6% | +4.1% | -3.1% | -7.8% | -7.8% | -0.3% | +18.1% | +17.0% | +0.2% | -4.1% | -6.0% | -10.8% |
| 2021 | -9.0% | +2.0% | -5.9% | +7.5% | -12.1% | +12.3% | +8.7% | +29.8% | +4.2% | +8.8% | -17.3% | -6.4% |
| 2020 | +17.4% | -8.7% | -31.8% | +29.7% | +13.5% | +12.2% | -8.7% | +10.5% | +9.6% | +14.9% | +6.0% | +4.7% |
| 2019 | +18.0% | +23.3% | +1.8% | +8.3% | +3.8% | -6.4% | +8.8% | +7.0% | -10.7% | +5.1% | +19.2% | -1.2% |
| 2018 | +10.9% | -10.6% | +9.5% | +6.6% | +9.4% | -1.5% | -1.5% | +37.0% | +1.1% | -18.1% | +2.0% | -10.2% |
| 2017 | +2.8% | +14.3% | +9.6% | +2.1% | +18.8% | -3.6% | +0.6% | +8.1% | -0.7% | +9.4% | -13.6% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | -23.3% | -4.8% | +10.5% | +16.9% | -4.1% | +17.7% | +3.3% | +0.9% | -1.3% | -2.2% | -23.9% | -9.4% |
| 2015 | -9.8% | +26.9% | -4.2% | -1.7% | +18.9% | +7.1% | +0.2% | -8.1% | -9.2% | +11.9% | +30.9% | -7.7% |
| 2014 | -21.4% | +3.0% | +11.1% | -9.4% | +16.0% | -13.6% | +24.7% | +18.7% | -10.2% | |||
| Average | -1.0% | +2.0% | -1.3% | +2.1% | +2.5% | +2.6% | +7.0% | +9.3% | -3.2% | +4.2% | +1.7% | -3.7% |
| % of years up | 50% | 50% | 58% | 54% | 54% | 46% | 77% | 75% | 42% | 58% | 58% | 33% |
| Years observed | 12 | 12 | 12 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 | 12 |
Paylocity month by month: the summary
Over 2014-2026, here's what Paylocity (PCTY) stock did each month, on average: January -1.0% (up 50% of 12 years), February +2.0% (up 50% of 12 years), March -1.3% (up 58% of 12 years), April +2.1% (up 54% of 13 years), May +2.5% (up 54% of 13 years), June +2.6% (up 46% of 13 years), July +7.0% (up 77% of 13 years), August +9.3% (up 75% of 12 years), September -3.2% (up 42% of 12 years), October +4.2% (up 58% of 12 years), November +1.7% (up 58% of 12 years), December -3.7% (up 33% of 12 years). In other words, PCTY historically rose in February, April, May, June, July, August, October, November, and fell in January, March, September, December.
Does Paylocity really go up in August?
Over 2014-2026, August is Paylocity's strongest month: +9.3% on average, positive in 9 of 12 years. At the other end, December shows -3.7%. 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 Paylocity stock go up or down in July?
Over 13 years, PCTY rose +7.0% on average in July, finishing the month up 10 times out of 13 (77%). Median: +3.3%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Paylocity stock go up or down in October?
Over 12 years, PCTY rose +4.2% on average in October, finishing the month up 7 times out of 12 (58%). Median: +7.0%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 12 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Paylocity stock go up or down in September?
Over 12 years, PCTY fell -3.2% on average in September, finishing the month up 5 times out of 12 (42%). Median: -1.0%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 12 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Paylocity stock go up or down in June?
Over 13 years, PCTY rose +2.6% on average in June, finishing the month up 6 times out of 13 (46%). Median: -0.3%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Paylocity stock go up or down in May?
Over 13 years, PCTY rose +2.5% on average in May, finishing the month up 7 times out of 13 (54%). Median: +3.0%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Paylocity stock go up or down in April?
Over 13 years, PCTY rose +2.1% on average in April, finishing the month up 7 times out of 13 (54%). Median: +2.1%. 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 Paylocity stock?
Historically, August: over the last 13 years, PCTY gained +9.3% on average that month and finished up 75% of the time (12 years observed). December is the weakest month (-3.7%). This is not a prediction: 13 years is a small sample, and the past is under no obligation to repeat.
Do Paylocity's quarterly earnings move the stock?
August — when Paylocity reports quarterly earnings — has been its best month over 13 years (+9.3% on average, up 75% of years). Earnings are a known driver of moves. ⚠️ This is a past tendency over a short history, not a rule. Use it as context, never as a buy plan.
Why does Paylocity stock often rise in August?
August has averaged as its best month over 13 years (+9.3%, up 75% of years). This month covers Paylocity's quarterly earnings release — a known driver of moves, and over this history it has tended to push the stock higher.
Why is Paylocity stock weaker in December?
December has averaged as its weakest month over 13 years (-3.7%, up only 33% of years). No clearly established recurring seasonal driver explains this month — it's a statistical tendency over 13 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 PCTY it's August (+9.3% on average over 13 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 PCTY, July is the most consistent month (77% positive years). We also rank all 12 months for the whole market.
Does stock seasonality actually work?
Careful. A month that rose 13 times out of 13 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 PCTY's real monthly closing prices from 2014 to 2026 (13 years), source Yahoo Finance. Each cell = the price change over that month. Price performance, excluding dividends. Incomplete months and quote gaps are excluded.