Top performing stocks in October 2023

October is a good month for stocks overall, and these stocks tend to do even better than the market, rising at least 74% of the time and producing as much as 8.3% gains on average.
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Updated: Dec 6, 2022
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Seasonality is the study of how assets perform at certain times of the year. The stocks below have shown a strong tendency to rise in October, historically. That doesn’t mean they will rally this October, though. Seasonality is best used in conjunction with other forms of analysis and specific trading strategies.

What are the top stocks that perform well in October?

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Our analysts have selected the best twelve stocks that usually perform well in October. You can find the list from our panel of experts in the table below. You can click each one’s ticker for up-to-date price information or continue reading to learn more.

#Stock symbolCompany nameTrade now
1SYYSysco Corporation
2ADPAutomatic Data Processing
3VODVodafone Group
Trade VOD

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

4GPSThe Gap
5ALKAlaska Air Group
6ADBEAdobe Systems
Trade ADBE

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

7AAPLApple Inc
Trade AAPL

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

8MSFTMicrosoft Corporation
Trade MSFT

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

9EIXEdison International
10CBThe Chubb Corporation
11CACA Inc
12ADMArcher-Daniels-Midland
List chosen by our team of analysts, updated September 2023.

81% Rally Rate

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Sysco Corporation (SYY)

  • Price has rallied 22 out of 27 years, or 81%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 4.01%.
  • In the rising months (22) the average gain has been: 6.08%.
  • In declining months (5) the average loss is -5.12%.
  • Biggest gain is 14.6%, and biggest drop is -14.41%.

Automatic Data Processing (ADP)

  • Price has rallied 22 out of 27 years, or 81%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 4.24%.
  • In the rising months (22) the average gain has been: 6.48%.
  • In declining months (5) the average loss is -5.59%.
  • Biggest gain is 22.32%, and biggest drop is -18.24%.

78% Rally Rate

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Vodafone Group (VOD)

  • Price has rallied 21 out of 27 years, or 78%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 5.87%.
  • In the rising months (21) the average gain has been: 8.8%.
  • In declining months (6) the average loss is -4.37%.
  • Biggest gain is 24.09%, and biggest drop is -12.83%.

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

The Gap (GPS)

  • Price has rallied 21 out of 27 years, or 78%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 6.01%.
  • In the rising months (21) the average gain has been: 9.99%.
  • In declining months (6) the average loss is -7.91%.
  • Biggest gain is 28.63%, and biggest drop is -26.8%.

Alaska Air Group (ALK)

  • Price has rallied 21 out of 27 years, or 78%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 7.38%.
  • In the rising months (21) the average gain has been: 10.87%.
  • In declining months (6) the average loss is -4.86%.
  • Biggest gain is 25.65%, and biggest drop is -7.72%.

Adobe Systems (ADBE)

  • Price has rallied 21 out of 27 years, or 78%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 7.61%.
  • In the rising months (21) the average gain has been: 12.07%.
  • In declining months (6) the average loss is -7.99%.
  • Biggest gain is 26.79%, and biggest drop is -32.51%.

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Apple Inc (AAPL)

  • Price has rallied 21 out of 27 years, or 78%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 7.2%.
  • In the rising months (21) the average gain has been: 12.42%.
  • In declining months (6) the average loss is -11.06%.
  • Biggest gain is 35.06%, and biggest drop is -23.98%.

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

74% Rally Rate

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Microsoft Corporation (MSFT)

  • Price has rallied 20 out of 27 years, or 74%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 5.46%.
  • In the rising months (20) the average gain has been: 9.09%.
  • In declining months (7) the average loss is -4.92%.
  • Biggest gain is 24.94%, and biggest drop is -16.32%.

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

Edison International (EIX)

  • Price has rallied 20 out of 27 years, or 74%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 4.36%.
  • In the rising months (20) the average gain has been: 7.93%.
  • In declining months (7) the average loss is -5.84%.
  • Biggest gain is 25.24%, and biggest drop is -10.81%.

The Chubb Corporation (CB)

  • Price has rallied 20 out of 27 years, or 74%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 4.78%.
  • In the rising months (20) the average gain has been: 7.36%.
  • In declining months (7) the average loss is -2.61%.
  • Biggest gain is 22.09%, and biggest drop is -5.24%.

CA Inc (CA)

  • Price has rallied 20 out of 27 years, or 74%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 8.36%.
  • In the rising months (20) the average gain has been: 13.99%.
  • In declining months (7) the average loss is -7.73%.
  • Biggest gain is 54.73%, and biggest drop is -12.65%.

Archer-Daniels-Midland (ADM)

  • Price has rallied 20 out of 27 years, or 74%.
  • Average October gain, for all years, is 5.37%.
  • In the rising months (20) the average gain has been: 8.68%.
  • In declining months (7) the average loss is -4.09%.
  • Biggest gain is 27.47%, and biggest drop is -8.02%.

What is the typical seasonal performance of stocks in October?

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Stocks as a whole (as gauged by S&P 500 index) tend to do well in October. Over the last 20 years, the index has moved higher 65% of the time (number on top of October column), and moved up by an average of 1.9% (number at bottom of October column).

Stock seasonality as per the SPX from 1997 to 2016
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Where to buy the top-performing stocks for October?

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If you want to buy stocks that usually go up in October, you’ll first need to sign up with a broker. In the table below you can find a list of platforms selected by our panel of experts.

1
Min. Deposit
$ 10
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User Score
10
Up to $240 bonus!
Deposit with ACA, Wire, Pay with my bank
Invest for dividends and get payout on stocks on Ex-Dividend day
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Payment Methods:
Bank Transfer, Credit Card, Debit Card, PayPal, Wire Transfer
Full Regulations:
CySEC, FCA

77% of retail CFD accounts lose money.

2
Min. Deposit
$ 0
Best offer
User Score
9.9
Get insights from millions of investors, creators, and analysts
Build your portfolio of stocks, ETFs, and crypto–all in one place
No minimum deposit
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Payment Methods:
Bank Wire, Check, Debit Card, Wire Transfer
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3
Min. Deposit
-
Best offer
User Score
9.4
Scope Markets is a regulated entity, following strictly the segregated accounts principal by offering a wide range of products together with Multi-Platform trading facilities.
Scope Markets offers one of the most comprehensive multimedia trading education libraries for traders all levels.
We commit to full transparency, excellence and continuous innovation.
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Strong Seasonality Stocks for October

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The statistics below are based on the historic monthly opening and closing prices. Therefore, gains or losses within the month may be larger than those disclosed below. For example, a statistic may say the biggest rally on a monthly basis was 15%, but during the month the stock could have been up 20%, but dropped to only finish the month up 15% (intra-month losses could also be bigger). This is why it is also recommended traders combine these statistics with other strategies, which help control risk and lock in profits.

Buying at the open and close of the month is also somewhat arbitrary. There are more precise times to take trades. Focus on seasonal opportunities that align with strategies you are already using.

This is the raw data. How you interpret it, and what you opt to do with it, is up to you.

All stocks do at least 500K in average daily volume.  All stocks with an average or median gains of less than 3% have been excluded.

Final Word on the Strong October Seasonality Stocks

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This is the raw data. What you do with it is up to you. All traders are encouraged to do their own research and apply their own strategies if utilizing these statistics.

Each stock has a different risk profile. While the ‘average gain’ statistic is a key metric, it doesn’t tell the whole story. Making 7% may seem attractive but when looking at the volatility it may be more than you are willing to handle. Therefore, look at the all the data when deciding what to trade. Also, apply other technical and fundamental metrics to help zero-in on exact entry and exit points. Seasonality is not covered in my stock trading course, because it is a not a requirement for successful trading. That said, it is an additional tool you can use.

Losing trades WILL happen. Don’t risk more than 1% of your trading account on a trade (risk = difference between entry price and stop loss price, multiplied by the number of shares). There is always a risk in trading, and you can lose much more than you expect (even when you think you are only risking 1%).

Disclaimer: This article should not be viewed as investment advice, and is not a recommendation for you to buy or sell. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future performance.



Sources & references
Risk disclaimer
Cory Mitchell
Market Analyst
Cory is a Chartered Market Technician (CMT) with more than 17 years of trading experience. He has written for multiple publications across the financial sector, and... read more.