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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 CBOE?

The MACD cross (12/26/9) does not beat buy-and-hold on CBOE: -11.2 points a year over 16 years.

Total return
126.0%
Buy and hold
×12
CAGR
5.2%
Sharpe
0.15
Max drawdown
-32.3%
Trades
363
Out of sample
—
Years
16
1×10×13×20112013201520172019202120232025
StrategyCBOE

Findings

  1. The MACD cross (12/26/9) does not beat buy-and-hold on CBOE: -11.2 points a year over 16 years.
  2. Against the S&P 500 over the same window: -9.4 points a year.
  3. Total return +126.0% versus ×12 for buy-and-hold, with 363 trades.
  4. Maximum drawdown -32.3%.
  5. It beats in neither half of the history (split at 2018).
  6. It ranks #156 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 CBOE 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 CBOE → · Full page for The MACD cross (12/26/9) →

How to cite

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

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