Does Walmart (WMT) stock go up or down depending on the month?
Walmart month by month, year by year
| Year | Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | +6.9% | +7.4% | -2.9% | +6.2% | -12.3% | -2.2% | -1.8% | |||||
| 2025 | +8.6% | +0.5% | -11.0% | +10.8% | +1.5% | -1.0% | +0.2% | -1.0% | +6.3% | -1.8% | +9.2% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | +4.8% | +6.4% | +2.7% | -1.4% | +10.8% | +3.0% | +1.4% | +12.5% | +4.6% | +1.5% | +12.9% | -2.3% |
| 2023 | +1.5% | -1.2% | +3.7% | +2.4% | -2.7% | +7.0% | +1.7% | +1.7% | -1.6% | +2.2% | -4.7% | +1.3% |
| 2022 | -3.4% | -3.3% | +10.2% | +2.7% | -15.9% | -5.5% | +8.6% | +0.4% | -2.2% | +9.7% | +7.1% | -7.0% |
| 2021 | -2.5% | -7.5% | +4.5% | +3.0% | +1.5% | -0.7% | +1.1% | +3.9% | -5.9% | +7.2% | -5.9% | +2.9% |
| 2020 | -3.7% | -5.9% | +5.5% | +7.0% | +2.0% | -3.4% | +8.0% | +7.3% | +0.8% | -0.8% | +10.1% | -5.7% |
| 2019 | +2.9% | +3.3% | -1.5% | +5.4% | -1.4% | +8.9% | -0.1% | +3.5% | +3.9% | -1.2% | +1.6% | -0.2% |
| 2018 | +7.9% | -15.6% | -1.1% | -0.6% | -6.7% | +3.8% | +4.2% | +7.4% | -2.0% | +6.8% | -2.6% | -4.6% |
| 2017 | -3.4% | +6.2% | +1.6% | +4.3% | +4.5% | -3.7% | +5.7% | -2.4% | +0.1% | +11.7% | +11.4% | +1.6% |
| 2016 | +8.3% | -0.0% | +3.3% | -2.4% | +5.8% | +3.2% | -0.1% | -2.1% | +1.0% | -2.9% | +0.6% | -1.9% |
| 2015 | -1.0% | -1.2% | -2.0% | -5.1% | -4.8% | -4.5% | +1.5% | -10.0% | +0.1% | -11.7% | +2.8% | +4.2% |
| 2014 | -5.1% | +0.0% | +2.3% | +4.3% | -3.7% | -2.2% | -2.0% | +2.6% | +1.3% | -0.3% | +14.8% | -1.9% |
| 2013 | +1.2% | +5.7% | +3.9% | -3.7% | -0.5% | +4.6% | -6.4% | +1.3% | +3.8% | +5.6% | -2.9% | |
| Average | +1.7% | -0.7% | +1.5% | +2.9% | -1.8% | +0.2% | +2.4% | +1.3% | +0.6% | +1.9% | +4.8% | -1.2% |
| % of years up | 54% | 50% | 64% | 71% | 43% | 36% | 71% | 62% | 69% | 54% | 77% | 38% |
| Years observed | 13 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 13 |
Walmart month by month: the summary
Over 2013-2026, here's what Walmart (WMT) stock did each month, on average: January +1.7% (up 54% of 13 years), February -0.7% (up 50% of 14 years), March +1.5% (up 64% of 14 years), April +2.9% (up 71% of 14 years), May -1.8% (up 43% of 14 years), June +0.2% (up 36% of 14 years), July +2.4% (up 71% of 14 years), August +1.3% (up 62% of 13 years), September +0.6% (up 69% of 13 years), October +1.9% (up 54% of 13 years), November +4.8% (up 77% of 13 years), December -1.2% (up 38% of 13 years). In other words, WMT historically rose in January, March, April, June, July, August, September, October, November, and fell in February, May, December.
Does Walmart really go up in November?
Over 2013-2026, November is Walmart's strongest month: +4.8% on average, positive in 10 of 13 years. At the other end, May shows -1.8%. 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 Walmart stock go up or down in August?
Over 13 years, WMT rose +1.3% on average in August, finishing the month up 8 times out of 13 (62%). Median: +1.7%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Walmart stock go up or down in April?
Over 14 years, WMT rose +2.9% on average in April, finishing the month up 10 times out of 14 (71%). Median: +3.4%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Walmart stock go up or down in July?
Over 14 years, WMT rose +2.4% on average in July, finishing the month up 10 times out of 14 (71%). Median: +1.4%. It's one of its most consistent months. ⚠️ 14 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Walmart stock go up or down in October?
Over 13 years, WMT rose +1.9% on average in October, finishing the month up 7 times out of 13 (54%). Median: +1.5%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Walmart stock go up or down in January?
Over 13 years, WMT rose +1.7% on average in January, finishing the month up 7 times out of 13 (54%). Median: +1.5%. Results are split year to year — there's no clear pattern. ⚠️ 13 years of data is not a prediction.
Does Walmart stock go up or down in March?
Over 14 years, WMT rose +1.5% on average in March, finishing the month up 9 times out of 14 (64%). Median: +2.5%. 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 Walmart stock?
Historically, November: over the last 14 years, WMT gained +4.8% on average that month and finished up 77% of the time (13 years observed). May is the weakest month (-1.8%). This is not a prediction: 14 years is a small sample, and the past is under no obligation to repeat.
Does Black Friday push Walmart stock up?
Historically, over 14 years, November is Walmart's best month (+4.8% on average, up 77% of years). November kicks off the holiday season (Black Friday), the peak for a retailer like Walmart. ⚠️ This is a past tendency over a short history, not a rule — the holiday season is already anticipated by the market. Use it as context, never as a buy plan.
Why is Walmart stock weaker in May?
May has averaged as its weakest month over 14 years (-1.8%, up only 43% 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 WMT it's November (+4.8% 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 WMT, November 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 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 WMT'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.