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February is generally a flat month for the stock market indices, but the following stocks have excelled in February over the last 20 years or more. Each stock on the list has rallied at least 8% on average and has moved higher in the month at least 70% of the time.

Best Performing Stocks in February Over the Last 20 Years or More for 2024

For comparison, the S&P 500 has increased an average of 0.2% in February and moved higher 60% of the time over the last 20 years (12 out of 20 years). This is the study of seasonality: how assets perform at different times of the year.

These are historical averages and do not indicate what a stock will do this year.

Many of the large losses in these stocks occurred when the S&P 500 also experienced a large drop or volatility late in the year, such as 2001, 2002, 2015, 2018, and 2020. That said, individual stocks can experience large gains or losses in any given month and returns are not necessarily correlated to what the major indices are doing.

Best Stocks for February 2024

The following stocks have performed the best in February over the last 20 years or more. Each stock has averaged returns of nearly 8% or more. See all the details, including the win rate, biggest wins, biggest losses, biggest drawdowns while in a trade, and trade dates.

This is interesting historical data. These are not trade recommendations.

Sketchers USA Inc. (SKX) +7.79%

Sketchers makes shoes and apparel.

Over the last 24 years, the stock has risen between February 1 (open) and February 26 (close) in 19 of those years (79%).

• Average return on all trades: +7.79%
• Biggest profit on closed trade: +65.35% (2000)
• Biggest loss on closed trade: -32% (2009)
• Max drawdown (biggest drop while a trade is open): -32.62% (2009)

Sketchers has a good overall combined win-rate and average profit. The stock is not without risks. It can be volatile, as shown by the max drawdown and biggest loss figures.

Tractor Supply Company (TSCO) +14.1%

Tractor Supply Company operates farming equipment and product stores throughout the US.

Over the last 30 years, the stock has risen between February 2 (open) and March 22 (close) in 21 of those years (70%).

• Average return on all trades: +14%
• Biggest profit on closed trade: +50% (1998)
• Biggest loss on closed trade: -16.94% (2020)
• Max drawdown (biggest drop while a trade is open): -32.02% (2020)

TSCO has been in a long-term uptrend but still sees regular drops of 25% to 40%

Trading Stocks That Are Strong in February

Seasonality analysis, while valuable, relies on historical data. This scan focused on stocks that historically performed well early in the year. However, it’s unknown whether these stocks will continue to perform well in February going forward.

Instead of trading based on seasonality alone, evaluate the stock’s trend, trends in major indices (such as the S&P 500), and the company’s financial health.

The statistics provided give a summary of what happened over many trades. They do not reflect the difficulty of attaining those average returns via holding through the many ups and downs in price. The largest drawdown underscores the temporary damage incurred to achieve the average profit.

Data is provided by third parties, such as Seasonal Guru, and is believed to be accurate but may not be in all cases. Due your own due diligence before risking any capital.

Determine how you will utilize seasonal opportunities, if you opt to trade them, while also managing risk. Risk is controlled with stop loss orders (which would alter the results witnessed) and position sizing.

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