June Market Myths: Don’t Bet on a Swoon or a Rally

Two seasonal stock market clichés tend to resurface each June: the ominous “June swoon” and the optimistic “summer rally.” Neither stands up to scrutiny.

Wall Street lore says stocks either fall sharply in June or kick off a strong summer run. But historical data suggests otherwise. Since its inception in 1896, the Dow Jones Industrial Average has posted an average monthly gain of 0.62%. June is neither better nor worse than that — just average.

Debunking the “June Swoon”

Yes, stocks often decline at some point during a month — any month. But to test the so-called June swoon, we need to ask: is June uniquely prone to bigger drops?

Looking at more than a century of data on the Dow, the average maximum intra-month loss in June is nearly identical to the average for all months. In fact, May, September, and October have shown larger average declines. There’s nothing special — or especially negative — about June.

The Reality of the “Summer Rally”

What about the summer rally? To test that theory, we examined the Dow’s biggest gain from early June through late August. While June does show slightly more upside potential than other months, the difference — just 0.9 percentage points — isn’t statistically significant. And even if it were, capturing it would require perfect foresight.

A Flip of the Coin

The takeaway? Acting on these seasonal narratives is no better than guessing. Neither the swoon nor the rally has reliable evidence behind it.

Why Theory Matters

Even if a seasonal trend did show a statistical edge, you shouldn’t act on it unless there’s a plausible reason it exists. Many patterns are flukes, not signals — a point emphasized by David Leinweber in “Stupid Data Miner Tricks,” which details how spurious correlations can mislead investors.

And as Lawrence Tint, former U.S. CEO of BGI, notes: if there were a clear reason behind a pattern, it would quickly vanish. Once investors understand it, they act on it — and the edge disappears.

Final Thought

Seasonal patterns like the June swoon and summer rally make for catchy headlines, but not sound investment strategies. If you’re looking for reliable returns, skip the calendar myths and focus on fundamentals.