The golden cross tends to precede sustained uptrends in contrast with the bearish death cross pattern. For instance, since 1970, the S&P 500 has been returning about 15% gains on average in less than a year after a golden cross’ occurrence. Ultimately, traders should be cautious with crossover signals, as blindly following them might result in losses.

Both crosses help traders in making investment decisions, particularly knowing when to enter and exit a trade. Conversely, a similar downside moving average crossover constitutes the death cross and is understood to signal a decisive downturn in a market. Either crossover is considered more significant when accompanied by high trading volume. The most commonly used moving averages are the 50-period and the 200-period moving average. For example, the daily 50-day moving average crossover up through the 200-day moving average on an index like the S&P 500 is one of the most popular bullish market signals.

What is a golden cross pattern?

As discussed above, false signals can occur and it’s important to confirm any golden cross with additional technical indicators before making any trades. A golden cross pattern forms when the short-term MA crosses above the long-term MA. In other words, the pattern shows that buying interest in a particular market has risen over the previous 50 days compared to the previous 200 days. For example, if buying activity and volume dries up following a Golden Cross event, you might want to figure out why the bullish momentum appears to be dwindling. The pattern can be used to confirm the likelihood that a bullish trend reversal, or an end to a downtrend, may be underway. Most traders would use other technical (and fundamental) indicators in addition to a Golden Cross to confirm such a reading.

• Looking at the chart above, you can see the market bottomed out and turned to the upside at a price level substantially below where the Golden Cross occurred.
• The last stage is the continuing uptrend for the follow through to higher prices.
• Technical analysts use a ton of data, often in the form of charts, to analyze stocks and markets.
• The Golden Cross can indicate that a potential trend reversal toward the upside may be emerging, or that market conditions may have turned bullish (if not less bearish).
• Both crosses help traders in making investment decisions, particularly knowing when to enter and exit a trade.
• Both of these are determined by the confirmation of a long-term trend from the occurrence of a short-term moving average crossing over a major long-term moving average.

There is a second, converse indicator – the Death Cross – which is the inverse of the Golden Cross. The Death Cross occurs when a security’s 50-day moving average crosses from above to below its 200-day moving average. But there have been cases where golden crosses have been followed by fake breakouts. Therefore, one should consider the golden cross pattern alongside other technical indicators before making a decision.

What To Watch Out For When Using a Golden Cross

Technical analysts use a ton of data, often in the form of charts, to analyze stocks and markets. It is the opposite of a death cross, which is a bearing indicator when a long-term moving average crosses under a short-term MA. Traders looking to buy a security will sometimes enter the market when the security’s price rises above the 200-day moving average rather than waiting for the 50-day moving average to make the crossover. It may not occur until well after the market has already turned from bearish to bullish.

• Adam received his master’s in economics from The New School for Social Research and his Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in sociology.
• Day traders commonly use smaller time periods like the 5-period and 15-period moving averages to trade intra-day golden cross breakouts.
• A Golden Cross is a basic technical indicator that occurs in the market when a short-term moving average (50-day) of an asset rises above a long-term moving average (200-day).
• Conversely, a similar downside moving average crossover constitutes the death cross and is understood to signal a decisive downturn in a market.

A death cross signals a bearish market or asset and can be a good time to buy. Many investors purchase assets when the value of those assets has dropped, but with the expectation that the value will go up again in the future, based on their analysis. There can be many reasons why an asset drops in price, however, that doesn’t necessarily signal a weak asset, but possibly a weak environment. If you manage to buy it on a dip, then you may see a return on your investment.

How Do You Calculate a Golden Cross?

The golden cross’ record in the benchmark crypto asset Bitcoin (BTC) is similarly impressive. Notably, the indicator has appeared seven times on Bitcoin daily charts since 2010, out of which five have led to massive bull runs. A golden cross pattern on the charts excites crypto traders for its promises of profitable opportunities ahead, largely due to its impressive success rate in traditional markets.

While golden crosses frequently do indeed appear before major price rallies in Bitcoin and cryptocurrency markets, the risk of bulls falling into a trap remains. A golden cross is one of the most popular bullish signals for cryptocurrency traders but it does not necessarily mean you should immediately enter the market. Finally, many analysts use complementary technical indicators to confirm the indication from a Golden Cross. Momentum indicators such as the Average Directional Index (ADX) or the Relative Strength Index (RSI) are popular choices. This is because momentum indicators are often leading, rather than lagging, indicators. Therefore, they can help in overcoming the Cross pattern’s tendency to significantly lag behind price action.

When traders see a Golden Cross occur, they view this chart pattern as indicative of a strong bull market. In technical analysis, a Golden Cross is a bullish pattern in which a faster and short-term moving average crosses above a slower and longer-term moving average. Conversely, a similar downside moving average crossover constitutes the death cross and is understood to signal a decisive downturn in a market. The death cross occurs when the short-term average trends down and crosses the long-term average, basically going in the opposite direction of the golden cross. A golden cross indicates a long-term bull market going forward, while a death cross signals a long-term bear market. Both refer to the solid confirmation of a long-term trend by the occurrence of a short-term moving average crossing over a major long-term moving average.

Trading Using the Golden Cross

A golden cross occurs on a stock chart when the 50-day moving average moves up towards the 200-day moving average and crosses it. This is noted as a bullish scenario and indicates a buy signal with the expectation that the upward trend will continue. Either cross may occur as a signal of a trend change, but they more frequently occur as a strong confirmation of a change in trend that has already taken place. Many investors use the 50-day moving average as a stop-loss level, assuming that a close below the 50-day MA might signal that an asset’s rising trend may be in question. The same assumption applies to the 200-day MA and depends on the investor’s investment timeframe. For greater accuracy in placing stops, it’s advisable to use other technical (and fundamental) indicators and methods.

How Do I Identify a Golden Cross on a Chart?

Day traders commonly use smaller time periods like the 5-period and 15-period moving averages to trade intra-day golden cross breakouts. The time interval of the charts can also be adjusted from 1 minute to weeks or months. Just as larger periods make for stronger signals, the same applies to chart time periods as well. The larger the chart time frame, the stronger and lasting the golden cross breakout tends to be. A Golden Cross is a basic technical indicator that occurs in the market when a short-term moving average (50-day) of an asset rises above a long-term moving average (200-day).

What is a Golden Cross?

The important thing is to try to distinguish a longer-term bearish reversal from an exaggerated correction. The first stage requires that a downtrend eventually bottoms out as selling is depleted. In the second stage, the shorter moving average forms a crossover up through the larger moving average to trigger a breakout and confirmation of trend reversal.