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August investing strategies

ended 24. July 2025

August is nearly upon us, a month when markets tend to get quieter as people are on their hols - even traders need a holiday, after all. Does August offer any opportunities for savvy investors? Can they make financial hay while the sun shines on other people? Equally, it may be that your view, as the saying goes, is that people should sell in May and go away, and not come back until St Leger's Day' (September 15th this year). Any insights into the asset classes that often underperform or outperform in August, or broader thoughts, send them across.  Deadline is fairly tight as we're planning on publishing this today. 

4 responses from the Newspage community

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Rob Mansfield
Independent Financial Advisor at Rootes Wealth Management
Unless you're a professional trader with time to keep on top of things and money you can afford to lose, i'm not sure there are any old wive's tales worth following. There's always a reason why it might be different this time or why something seems obvious in hindsight. It's easier to stick to your knitting and try to think much longer term.
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David Stirling
Independent Financial Adviser at Mint Wealth
Forget making hay while the sun shines and making moves while others make sangria. Investing should be seen a medium to long term commitment with pound-cost averaging and smoothing helping with bumps in the road. To jump in seasonally you could win, but equally you could lose.
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David Belle
Founder and Trader at Fink Money
In a computer dominated world, we don’t really get quieter markets during the summer months.

Especially more recently when Jackson Hole at the end of August becomes more and more important in a very monetary policy centric world.

The usual ‘sell in May and go away’ seasonality has not worked this year.

If you’d have moved to cash on May 1, you’d have missed out on a 15% move on the SP500, leaving you down year to date!
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John Woolfitt
Director at Atlantic Capital Markets
While August is often marked by low trading volumes and summer holidays, it can still present tactical opportunities for savvy investors. August has historically been a choppy month for equities, especially in the U.S. and Europe, and whilst the old adage is sell in May come back on St Legers day, this really harks back to pre-internet days. Thin liquidity can amplify volatility, and market-moving news can have more of an impact to prices, albeit briefly. Defensive sectors like utilities and healthcare often fare better in these conditions. The lower liquidity can also mean exaggerated currency swings similar to those seen in equities and the USD often gains as global investors shift toward perceived safety. It’s also worth noting that key events such as The Jackson Hole Economic Symposium often provides key signals from the Fed and other central banks and can have short sharp impact on prices and markets, again offering the savvy the potential to move.