Comcast, PepsiCo and Other Stocks With Recent Golden Crosses

By Trey Thoelcke Published Aug 20, 12:18PM EDT

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Comcast, PepsiCo and Other Stocks With Recent Golden Crosses — © Laurence Dutton / Getty Images

Golden crosses and death crosses are common signals in technical analysis and refer to the relationship between short-term and long-term moving averages. The golden cross typically is considered a bullish sign, perhaps a stock that has broken out or is about to. The death cross, on the other hand, can be a bearish sign, perhaps warning investors to get out of the way or signaling that it may be time short the stock.

Here are five S&P 500 components that are popular with consumers and that recently saw their 50-day moving average cross above the 200-day average, a golden cross.
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Comcast Corp. (NASDAQ: CMCSA | CMCSA Price Prediction) saw its golden cross earlier this week, but so far the gap between the averages is only a few cents per share. A top insider recently sold almost 100,000 shares. The share price has risen less than 3% in the past month, while the S&P 500 has gained almost 5%. Almost all of the 31 analysts surveyed recommend buying shares.

The Hanesbrands Inc. (NYSE: HBI) moving averages crossed earlier this month, and the gap between them is up to more than 4% of the share price. This apparel maker began producing facemasks this year, which has helped on the top line. Shares are up almost 12% in the past month. The consensus recommendation is to hold shares, though analyst sentiment has shifted more positive in the past two months.
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McDonald’s Corp. (NYSE: MCD) saw a golden cross this month as well. The long-term average had dropped below the other back in the March panic selling. The company blamed the pandemic for its mixed second-quarter results, but shares are up more than 9% in the past 30 days, though still 4% or so lower than a year ago. Most of the 33 analysts surveyed recommend buying shares.

Mondelez International Inc.’s (NASDAQ: MDLZ) death cross happened earlier this month, and the difference in the two averages is up to about $0.40, or less than 1% of the share price, so far. The snack foods giant hiked its dividend when it reported its most recent quarterly results. Its shares are up 5% or so in the past month. The consensus recommendation is to buy the shares.

PepsiCo Inc.’s (NASDAQ: PEP) short-term moving average crossed above the long-term one this week, reversing the death cross seen at the beginning of April. This beverage and snack maker may be lagging its main rival a bit these days. The shares are up less than 2% in the past month and essentially flat year to date. A little more than half of the 22 analysts surveyed recommend buying shares.
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About the Author Trey Thoelcke →

Trey has been an editor and author at 24/7 Wall St. for more than a decade, where he has published thousands of articles analyzing corporate earnings, dividend stocks, short interest, insider buying, private equity, and market trends. His comprehensive coverage spans the full spectrum of financial markets, from blue-chip stalwarts to emerging growth companies.

Beyond 24/7 Wall St., Trey has created and edited financial content for Benzinga and AOL's BloggingStocks, contributing additional hundreds of articles to the investment community. He previously oversaw the 24/7 Climate Insights site, managing editorial operations and content strategy, and currently oversees and creates content for My Investing News.

Trey's editorial expertise extends across multiple publishing environments. He served as production editor at Dearborn Financial Publishing and development editor at Kaplan, where he helped shape financial education materials. Earlier in his career, he worked as a writer-producer at SVE. His freelance editing portfolio includes work for prestigious clients such as Sage Publications, Rand McNally, the Institute for Supply Management, the American Library Association, Eggplant Literary Productions, and Spiegel.

Outside of financial journalism, Trey writes fiction and has been an active member of the writing community for years, overseeing a long-running critique group and moderating workshop sessions at regional conventions. He lives with his family in an old house in the Midwest.