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Finaxion Research · The golden cross (50/200) · single stocks · Recomputed 2026-09-10

Does the golden cross (50/200) work on UPS?

The golden cross (50/200) does not beat buy-and-hold on UPS: -4.1 points a year over 27 years.

Total return
13.9%
Buy and hold
233.2%
CAGR
0.5%
Sharpe
-0.14
Max drawdown
-53.5%
Trades
39
Out of sample
overfit
Years
27
1×3.2×20002002200420062008201020122014201620182020202220242026
StrategyUPS

Findings

  1. The golden cross (50/200) does not beat buy-and-hold on UPS: -4.1 points a year over 27 years.
  2. Against the S&P 500 over the same window: -8.0 points a year.
  3. Total return +13.9% versus +233.2% for buy-and-hold, with 39 trades.
  4. The result does not hold out of sample: it is overfit.
  5. Maximum drawdown -53.5%.
  6. It beats in neither half of the history (split at 2013).
  7. It ranks #192 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 8fb75dc6eee1.

Exactly what was tested

Long while the 50-day SMA is above the 200-day SMA; flat when it is below. Next-close execution. No leverage, no stop.

How to read it

The verdict compares the strategy with buying and holding UPS 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 UPS → · Full page for The golden cross (50/200) →

How to cite

Finaxion Research (2026). Does the golden cross (50/200) work on UPS?. Daily backtest 1962-01-01–2026-08-31, artifact 8fb75dc6eee1. https://finaxion.app/en/research/golden-cross/ups

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