Apple could get a much-needed boost to its stumbling stock in the form of a bullish chart pattern. The iPhone maker appears poised to form a “golden cross,” a chart pattern that emerges as a stock’s short-term 50-day moving average exceeds its long-term moving average, typically measured over 200 days. The technical indicator is widely viewed as a sign that an asset’s price will surge. Apple’s 50-day average sits at $221.03 as of Friday, while its 200-day average is $221.49. The potentially bullish technical move comes as the “Magnificent Seven” stock underperforms its peers. Apple is down roughly 8% in the year to date. Other megacap technology stocks such as Nvidia and Meta Platforms are up more than 40% during that time. Apple has faced several headwinds over the past year, including lackluster iPhone 16 sales and difficulties building out its artificial intelligence unit. This week, D.A. Davidson lowered its rating on the iPhone maker to neutral from buy after the firm was left underwhelmed by its latest iPhone release. In June, Needham downgraded the stock to hold from buy, citing the potential for the U.S.-China trade war to kneecap the company’s supply chain as well as the rolling back of AI-related initiatives. However, Apple shares could still surge if its stock forms the golden cross pattern. What history shows Apple has showed five golden crosses in the past 20 years, with an average return of 1.5% a month following the signal, up 4.3% at three months, 5.1% at six months and 23.5% over a year. Win rates naturally increase over the longer durations. Compared to the broader market, AAPL has typically outperformed in the three to 12 month range following the signal, but the excess return is modest in the near term. And interestingly, the past five “death crosses” for the stock — when the 50-day falls below a descending 200-day moving average — haven’t spelled doom the way the name suggests. On average, Apple rose about 4% in the month following a death cross, 12.4% at three months, 19% at six months and 37% at 12 months. And Apple beat the S & P 500 ETF Trust (SPY) at a similar frequency following the bearish death cross as the bullish golden cross. (To be fair, we’re looking at small samples, just five of each.) But here’s the thing, neither signal has predictably preceded better returns than Apple has shown on any given period over the past 20 years. The average return for Apple over a one-month period has been 2.2%, 7.3% at three months, 14.8% at six months and 31% on a 12-month basis. Post-signal returns have generally lagged over the one to six-month windows after both types of crosses. (Learn the best 2026 strategies from inside the NYSE with Josh Brown and others at CNBC PRO Live. Tickets and info here .)
Read More: Apple is close to forming a bullish golden cross chart pattern