Five European stocks that shine in January

European equity markets have opened 2026 with strong momentum, pushing several major indices to record highs, including Germany’s flagship benchmark.

Seasonal patterns suggest January is usually a positive, though not spectacular, month for European stocks.

Yet in recent years, the opening month of the year has delivered some unusually powerful rallies, especially for a handful of European names.

Over the past 20 years, the Euro STOXX 50 has risen an average of 0.26% in January, finishing the month higher 56% of the time, according to TradingView data.

National indices show similar patterns. Germany’s DAX posted an average January gain of 0.44% with a 57% win rate, while France’s CAC 40 advanced 0.58% on average, also positive 57% of the time.

Italy’s FTSE MIB stands out slightly, delivering an average 1.23% January rise and a higher 62% success rate.

By comparison, months such as April or November have historically delivered stronger and more consistent returns for European equities.

However, what sets January apart in the current cycle is the scale of recent gains.

January 2023 and January 2025 ranked among the strongest January performances on record for several European indices.

The Euro STOXX 50 surged 9.75% in January 2023 and added another 7.98% two years later.

The DAX rose 8.65% in January 2023 and 9.16% in January 2025, underscoring the market’s renewed appetite for cyclical and industrial exposure at the start of the year.

Against this backdrop, certain individual stocks have emerged as consistent January outperformers.

Here are five European companies with a strong seasonal track record that tends to favour the first month of the year.

French engineering and technology consultancy Alten shows a clear positive seasonal bias in January.

Over the past 20 years, the stock has gained an average of 4.13% during the month, finishing higher 71% of the time.

January has been particularly strong in recent years, with gains of 20.46% in 2023, 6.84% in 2024 and 12.9% in 2025.

The main exceptions came during the global financial crisis, when Alten dropped 25.19% in January 2008 and 21% in January 2009, a reminder that even strong seasonal trends do not override major macro shocks.

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French hospitality group Accor also ranks among Europe’s most reliable January performers.

The stock has risen by an average of 4.3% in January over the last two decades, with a 67% win rate. Momentum has been particularly strong since the pandemic recovery phase, with the past four Januarys all ending in positive territory.

January 2023 stands out, when Accor surged 28.1% in a single month as travel demand rebounded sharply.

French IT consultancy Sopra Steria has delivered one of the most consistent January records among mid-to-large European stocks.

Sopra Steria shares have risen an average of 5.75% in January over the last 20 years, with a strong 76% win rate. Excluding a sharp 20% drop in 2022, every January over the past eight years has ended in positive territory.

The best performance came in January 2012, with a 23.25% rally, while the worst was during the financial crisis in 2008, when the stock fell 22.76%.

German life sciences supplier Sartorius also features prominently among January’s strongest seasonal performers.

Over the past two decades, the stock has gained an average of 5.85% in January, with a 67% win rate. As with Sopra Steria, excluding the 2022 sell-off, the last eight Januarys have all been positive.

The standout month was January 2025, when Sartorius jumped 30.11%, reflecting renewed investor appetite for high-quality healthcare suppliers. The weakest January occurred in 2008, with a 12.96% decline.

At the top of the leaderboard sits German defence heavyweight Rheinmetall, which shows one of the most striking January patterns in the European market.

Over the past 20 years, the stock has risen an average of 7.74% in January, with a remarkable 90% win rate. Performance in recent years has been particularly strong. Rheinmetall posted double-digit January gains in each of the past four years — up 10.9% in 2022, 15.02% in 2023, 13.17% in 2024 and 22.9% in 2025.

The consistency reflects both structural tailwinds for the defence sector and repeated bouts of early-year repricing as investors reassess geopolitical risks.

Seasonal patterns can highlight how investor behaviour, portfolio rebalancing and expectations often repeat over time. However, they are not forecasts and can be overwhelmed by macroeconomic shocks, policy shifts or unexpected geopolitical events.

January may not be Europe’s strongest month on average, but for a select group of stocks, history shows it has often provided an early boost

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