What Is "Sell in May and Go Away"?

"Sell in May and go away" is an adage that warns investors to divest their stock holdings in May to avoid a seasonal decline and to reinvest in November. But recent performance suggests that the advice is obsolete. Climate change may be affecting the markets too. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌

Term of the Day | Words to Know Sell in May and Go Away "Sell in May and go away" is a well-known financial-world adage. It is based on the historical underperformance of some stocks in the "summery" six-month period commencing in May and ending in October, compared to the "wintery" six-month period from November to April. If an investor follows the this strategy, they would divest their equity holdings in May (or at least, the late spring) and invest again in November (or the mid-autumn). Some investors find this strategy more rewarding than staying in the equity markets throughout the year. They subscribe to the belief that, as warm weather sets in, low volumes and the lack of market participants (presumably on vacations) can make for a somewhat riskier, or at a minimum lackluster, market period. Read More » Related to "Sell in May and Go Away" Market Timing Tips Every Investor Should Know Market timing rules benefit investments by finding the best prices and times to take exposure and book profits. Use these tips to protect your portfolio. Read More » 7 Best ETF Trading Strategies for Beginners Exchange-traded funds (ETFs) are ideal instruments for beginning traders and investors. Learn the seven best strategies for trading ETFs. Read More » SPONSORED BY INVESCO The Complete Guide to ETFs ETFs are becoming increasingly popular and soaring to new heights among investors. Invesco's insights can help you determine if these investment vehicles are right for you. Learn More » 7 Market Anomalies Every Investor Should Know Market anomalies are mysterious and often unpredictable. These seven tradeable market anomalies may work in a savvy investor's favor. Read More » Related Definitions Underperform "Underperform" is a analyst designation or recommendation that indicates an expectation that a stock will do slightly worse than the market return. Read More » Indicator Indicators are statistics used to measure current conditions as well as to forecast financial or economic trends. Read More » Cyclical Stock Cyclical stocks are stocks whose prices are affected by macroeconomic, systematic changes in the overall economy. Read More » Seasonality Seasonality is a characteristic of a time series in which the data experiences regular and predictable changes that recur every calendar year. Read More » CONNECT WITH INVESTOPEDIA Email sent to: mondemand.forex@blogger.com To update your newsletter preferences or unsubscribe, click here. 114 West 41st St, floor 8 New York NY 10036 © 2020, Investopedia, LLC, All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy