The strange saga of sectors in September
Key points:
- We detailed in a previous note that the S&P 500 tends to perform poorly in September, but that results can vary widely from year-to-year
- We also noted several sectors facing notable seasonal headwinds
- In this note, we broaden the horizon and examine the performance of all 11 S&P 500 sectors during September since 1927
- We also highlight mid-term election Septembers, and the five sectors that have shown the worst results of the past 99 Septembers
Sector performance during September
As detailed in this previous note, a) September has been the worst month of the year for stocks, and b) in any given September, anything can happen. As a result, investors sometimes face a September conundrum. Should I sell out of concern that stocks tend to perform poorly? Or should I just ride it out since win rates tend to be more of a coin flip? The reality is that each investor must answer those questions for themself. To help you decide, let's take a closer look at sector performance during September.
The table below summarizes the performance of each of the 11 S&P 500 sectors during September only, si

