The S&P 500 Index has gained 8.5% year to date heading into August, a level that historically favors bullish August returns. Since 1975, August has been the third-worst month for the index with an average return of 0.21%, but when the year-to-date gain through July is between 5% and 13%, August has averaged a 1.78% return with positive results 77% of the time. The index spent July hovering just below its all-time high without breaking through, a pattern that has occurred 11 previous times and led to an average slight loss of 0.12% the following month, though a new high was reached 55% of the time. Over the past ten years, the August-September period has averaged a 0.4% loss for the S&P 500, yet certain stocks have consistently outperformed, including Insulet and Ross Stores, which beat the index in nine of those ten years.
Insulet CorporationHistorically outperformed S&P 500 in August-September period, mentioned as a consistent winner
Ross Stores IncHistorically outperformed S&P 500 in August-September period, mentioned as a consistent winner
Apple Inc.