Where to Not Put Your Money in March

Subscribers to Chart of the Week received this commentary on Sunday, March 1.

Time is truly flying this year, as we enter the final four weeks of 2026’s first quarter. Driven by geopolitical tensions, a disruptive AI sector, and Thursday’s disappointing Nvidia (NVDA) earnings reaction, markets are closing February with extremely disappointing readings with monthly losses for all three major indexes. This shaky start to 2026 pales in comparisons to 2025’s uninspiring start to the year, but it’s still worth examining quantitative data to see what stocks historically tend to underperform in March and are thus vulnerable to potentially more weakness.

Provided by Schaeffer’s Senior Quantitative Analyst Rocky White, below is a list of the 25 worst stocks to own in March in the last 10 years on the S&P 500 Index (SPX). There are three major takeaways.

1. Take A Few (Blue) Chips Off the Table

Usually a friendlier bet for bulls, blue chip stocks struggle to get off the bus in March. The worst stock to own in March is athleticwear leader Nike (NKE), sporting an average loss of 4.2%, with a paltry 10%-win rate. Clinging to its year-to-date breakeven level, Nike stock may live up to the "it gets worse before it gets better " tale.

Also worth mentioning is Boeing (BA). BA has managed to improve its reputation of late, sporting a 34% year-over-year gain and tapping an annual high of $254.34 on Jan. 27. Over the past 10 months of March, Boeing stock has averaged a loss of 5.2%, with a mere 30% win rate. While BA has worked off its “overbought” status from January, a pullback of similar magnitude would put $200 in play.

2. Don’t Bank on the Finance Sector

Unmissable is the table flooded by finance names.

Twelve of the 25 stocks on White’s list fall under banking and/or investments, nearly 50%. KeyCorp (KEY) is just over one month off posting a surprise earnings beat, resulting in a 2.8% post-earnings pop on Jan. 21. This triggered a run to a Feb. 9, multi-year high of $23.34. Per White, over the past decade KEY has averaged a return of -9.6%, with a win rate of just 20%. While short-term support could move in at $20, if this is breached it may be time to cut and run, given the historical headwinds.

More bank peers worth avoiding that have enjoyed early 2026 outperformance include Huntington Bancshares (HBAN), Bank of America (BAC), and Goldman Sachs (GS).

3. Perfect Timing to Avoid the Stream

Warner Bros Discovery (WBD) being the third-worst stock to own in March is insult to injury, after the streamer stumbled into the new month after Netflix (NFLX) announced it had removed itself from the bidding war with Paramount Skydance (PSKY). WBD ended February with its worst session since mid-December and has slipped below its year-to-date breakeven mark.

Warner Bros Discovery averages a loss of 6.7% in March, finished the month positive just twice in the last decade. To be mindful of the shifting tectonic plates in the media landscape, on top of bearish seasonality, is enough for even the shrewdest contrarian to stay away.

Hopefully, these call-outs will be handy as we move into the final month of Q1. After all, where not to put your money is just as important as where to invest, especially given heightened geopolitical uncertainty and continued whiplash from the advancing AI sector.