The Difference Between A Death Cross And A Golden Cross?What Does The Death Cross Tell You?
The death cross occurs when a short-term moving average (typically 50-day SMA) crosses over a major long-term moving average (typically 200-day SMA) to the downside and is interpreted by analysts and traders as signaling a definitive bear turn in a market.
The opposite of the death cross occurs with the appearance of the golden cross, when the short-term moving average of a stock or index moves above the long-term moving average. Many investors view this pattern as a bullish indicator. The golden cross pattern typically shows up after a prolonged downtrend has run out of momentum. As is true with the death cross, investors should confirm the trend reversal after several days or weeks of price movement in the new direction. Much of the process of investing by following patterns is self-fulfilling behavior, as trading volumes increase with the attention of more investors who are driven in part by an increase in financial news stories abut a particular stock or the movement of an index.
Limitations Of Using The Death Cross
All indicators are “lagging,” and no indicator can truly predict the future. Once & while a death cross can produce a false signal, and a trader placing a short at that time would be in some near-term trouble. Despite its apparent predictive power in forecasting prior large bear markets, death crosses also do regularly produce false signals. Therefore, a death cross should always be confirmed with other signals and indicators before putting on a trade.
