An old stock-market adage applies this month — how you should play it

An old Wall Street saying resurfaces each autumn: “Sell Rosh Hashanah, buy Yom Kippur.” The idea is to reduce exposure as the Jewish New Year begins, then return to the market before the Day of Atonement roughly ten days later. Like “Sell in May and go away,” it rests on a simple seasonal premise — that markets tend to drift or stall while many participants step away for reflection.

The underlying logic has little to do with religion and much to do with liquidity. With trading desks partially empty and institutions deferring large commitments until after the holidays, volume thins and price moves can feel exaggerated in either direction. The adage essentially asks investors to sidestep that low-participation window and re-enter when activity normalizes.

What matters is context. Because the Hebrew calendar shifts each year, the holiday window can land alongside earnings season, inflation data, or central-bank meetings that carry their own momentum. Seasonal patterns describe tendencies, not guarantees. The takeaway for long-term investors is to watch how thin trading amplifies moves around Yom Kippur — and to treat any folk wisdom as a lens on sentiment, not a substitute for a plan.