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Finaxion Research · The MACD cross (12/26/9) · single stocks · Recomputed 2026-09-10

Does the MACD cross (12/26/9) work on ALB?

The MACD cross (12/26/9) does not beat buy-and-hold on ALB: -8.3 points a year over 33 years.

Total return
153.8%
Buy and hold
×32
CAGR
2.9%
Sharpe
0.10
Max drawdown
-66.6%
Trades
651
Out of sample
overfit
Years
33
1×10×19951998200120042007201020132016201920222025
StrategyALB

Findings

  1. The MACD cross (12/26/9) does not beat buy-and-hold on ALB: -8.3 points a year over 33 years.
  2. Against the S&P 500 over the same window: -8.0 points a year.
  3. Total return +153.8% versus ×32 for buy-and-hold, with 651 trades.
  4. The result does not hold out of sample: it is overfit.
  5. Maximum drawdown -66.6%.
  6. It beats in neither half of the history (split at 2010).
  7. It ranks #112 of 235 markets for this strategy by annual excess over the S&P 500.

Findings derived from the full panel. Each carries its number and its denominator; the computations are reproducible with artifact 71812b470df2.

Exactly what was tested

Long while the MACD(12,26) line is above its signal(9); flat when below. Next-close execution.

How to read it

The verdict compares the strategy with buying and holding ALB over the same window, with round-trip costs per asset class. “Out of sample” is walk-forward: the rule is fit on one stretch and judged on the next. A result that beats in the full sample but not out of it is overfit. Full methodology in the protocol. How we test.

Open this backtest with its trades   Trades (CSV)

Every strategy on ALB → · Full page for The MACD cross (12/26/9) →

How to cite

Finaxion Research (2026). Does the MACD cross (12/26/9) work on ALB?. Daily backtest 1962-01-01–2026-08-31, artifact 71812b470df2. https://finaxion.app/en/research/classic-macd/alb

Not a recommendation. Past performance does not guarantee future results.