How the golden cross scanner works
A golden cross is the 50-day simple moving average crossing above the 200-day. A death cross is the reverse. Trade Ideas has no single built-in "golden cross" alert, so the scan is built from real pieces:
Streaming Alerts (Scanner) run in TI Pro, our desktop app for Windows (on a Mac, through Parallels).
Golden Cross Scanner guide
What a golden cross scan finds
Stocks whose 50-day average has moved above the 200-day. Many investors and swing traders read that as the long-term trend turning up. A death cross, the 50 dropping under the 200, reads the other way.
These crosses are slow. They happen a few times a year on a given stock at most, so a scanner that checks the whole market saves a lot of chart flipping.
Build the golden cross formula
In the Formula Editor, add a custom filter with this formula. It uses the daily 50 and 200-day simple moving averages the editor exposes:
sma_50 > sma_200
Set it to true and you get every stock currently in a golden cross state. For a death cross, flip the sign:
sma_50 < sma_200
This shows the current state, not a time-stamped cross event. To find recent crosses, sort by how close the two averages are, for example with a formula like (sma_50 - sma_200) / sma_200 * 100, and look at small positive values.
Simple moving averages only; the Formula Editor does not support EMAs.
The live alerts and filters, by name and code
Golden cross vs. 200-day price breaks
The golden cross compares two averages. A 200-day break compares price to one average. Price crossing the 200-day usually happens before the 50-day turns, so CA200 is often the earlier sign.
Many traders watch both: Crossed Above 200 Day Moving Average (CA200) for the early break, the formula for the confirmed state.
Set it up in 4 steps
- In the Formula Editor, add the sma_50 > sma_200 custom filter.
- Build a Top List (Screener) with it, plus Price, Dollar Volume and Change From 200 Day SMA (%) at a max like 5, so you see stocks near the 200-day.
- In TI Pro, open an alert window with Crossed Above 200 Day Moving Average and the same filters plus Relative Volume.
- Save both. Check the list before the open; let the alerts run during the day.
How traders use it
Swing entries. A fresh golden cross plus a pullback to the 50-day.
Filters for other scans. Add the formula to a breakout scan so you only trade breakouts in long-term uptrends.
Exits. A death cross or a 200-day break as a reason to step aside.
For shorter crosses, see the moving average crossover scanner.
Golden cross on intraday charts
On intraday charts, the closest match is the 20 period SMA crossing the 200. 20 SMA Crossed Above 200 SMA (5 Min) (YCAD5) and 20 SMA Crossed Above 200 SMA (15 Min) (YCAD15) fire it on 5 and 15 minute bars, where 200 bars covers a few days of trading. Some day traders call this an intraday golden cross.
Finding stocks near a golden cross
A stock where the 50-day sits just under the 200-day and both are close to price is a stock that may cross soon. In the Formula Editor, a formula like (sma_50 - sma_200) / sma_200 * 100 gives the gap in percent. Sort by it and look at small negative values.
History of the term
The golden cross is an old market term. Financial news reports it on big index funds and well-known stocks, which is part of why so many traders watch it. Watching the same thing as everyone else is not the same as having an edge, so test it.
Walk-through: the formula in a Top List
- Open the Formula Editor and add a custom filter named "50 over 200" with sma_50 > sma_200.
- Build a Top List with it set to true, plus Change From 200 Day SMA (%) between 0 and 5.
- The list shows stocks in a golden cross state, sitting near their 200-day.
- Turn on Crossed Above 200 Day Moving Average in TI Pro with the same filters for live breaks.
Death cross with the same formula
Flip the formula to sma_50 < sma_200 and you have the death cross. Run both in the Formula Editor as two custom filters, and a Top List can show which side of the cross every stock is on.
For live breaks, Crossed Below 200 Day Moving Average (CB200) fires when price crosses below the 200 day, the usual early warning before a death cross.
Daily filters that pair well
Golden cross for longer-term investors
The cross is slow on purpose. Investors use it to decide whether to own a stock at all, not when to buy it today. Many check it weekly. The custom formula in a Top List makes that weekly check a single click.
Risks and common mistakes
Golden crosses lag. By the time the 50 crosses the 200, much of the turn has happened.
In sideways markets, the averages can cross back and forth.
Test your rules in a simulated account first.
- Treating the cross as a buy signal on the day it happens.
- Ignoring that the cross lags, so much of the move can be done.
- Using the cross on thin stocks, where averages are easy to push around.
Golden cross scanner FAQ
Plain answers to what traders search for.
What is a golden cross?
The 50-day simple moving average crossing above the 200-day. The reverse is a death cross.
Does Trade Ideas have a golden cross alert?
No built-in one. You build the 50/200-day test in the Formula Editor, included in every TI Pro plan, and use the 200-day break alerts for live events.
How do I scan for a death cross?
Use the formula sma_50 < sma_200, and the Crossed Below 200 Day Moving Average alert for live breaks.
Can I scan for an EMA golden cross?
No. The Formula Editor works with simple moving averages, not EMAs.
Is there a golden cross stock screener for free?
You can try it with a free account, just an email, no card. Live access is for a limited time, then it is part of a paid plan.
Does a golden cross mean the stock will go up?
No. It is a lagging trend signal. Plenty of crosses fail. Backtest your rules.
Is a golden cross bullish?
Many traders read it as bullish because it shows a longer-term uptrend. It lags, so the move may be partly done.
Past results, including backtests, don't guarantee future results.
