As markets fall, here's how a Tesla death cross might actually matter

Learn how a little technical analysis can help you understand the market a little better.

| More on:
blue tesla

Image source: Tesla

You’re reading a free article with opinions that may differ from The Motley Fool’s Premium Investing Services. Become a Motley Fool member today to get instant access to our top analyst recommendations, in-depth research, investing resources, and more. Learn More

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

After a choppy start to the week, Thursday was a difficult day for the stock market. Once again, though, after seeing extremely large declines to start the day, markets rebounded to cut their losses by the end of the session. Declines for the Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJINDICES: ^DJI), S&P 500 (SNPINDEX: ^GSPC), and Nasdaq Composite (NASDAQINDEX: ^IXIC) were all less than 1% by the close.

Index Percentage Change Point Change
Dow (0.75%) (260)
S&P 500 (0.86%) (36)
Nasdaq Composite (0.72%) (105

Data source: Yahoo! Finance.

Shares of Tesla (NASDAQ: TSLA) were up a bit more than 1% on Thursday, as investors seemed generally pleased with the fact that the electric-auto manufacturer delivered roughly 33,000 vehicles from its production facilities in China during June and came out with a cheaper version of its Model Y SUV for Chinese consumers. Yet what's getting more attention than you might expect is that the stock appears ready to go through what's called a "death cross" — with plenty of ominous overtones.

Below, we'll look more closely at what a death cross is and why even those investors who typically don't pay any attention to technical analysis of the stock market should pay attention.

The basics of the death cross

Technical analysts pay close attention to the price behavior of stocks, and one common metric involves moving averages of past prices. By taking closing prices over a certain number of days, volatility gets smoothed out, giving a better sense of the general direction in which a stock is moving.

To determine relatively long-term trends of stocks, technical analysis often turns to the 200-day moving average of closing stock prices. For traders interested in short-term swings, the 50-day moving average is a popular gauge.

Some investors using technical analysis pay close attention when these two moving averages cross each other. When the 50-day moving average moves above the 200-day, then a so-called "golden cross" occurs, which many see as having bullish implications. When the 50-day moves below the 200-day, however, the result is a death cross, and that's often seen as bearish.

Barring a quick jump of roughly $100 per share for the stock, Tesla is about to undergo a death cross for the first time in a couple years. That has some technical analysts nervous about the stock's future prospects.

Should you really care?

If you're wondering what all this has to do with Tesla's actual EV business, the answer is absolutely nothing. For investors who focus solely on company fundamentals when deciding whether to make an investment, chart patterns have very little impact on long-term stock performance.

However, it can be useful for investors to be aware of technical-analysis issues, even if they don't really believe in them. Enough investors do follow technical analysis, so in some cases, it becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy in the short run.

If you're looking to make a new investment in Tesla — or you're thinking about trimming a position you already have — then knowing that investors are more likely than not to react negatively when the death cross occurs can be helpful. If you're looking to sell, you might choose to do so sooner rather than later. If you're looking to buy, waiting for a death-cross-related downturn could allow you to purchase more shares with the same amount of money.

Most importantly, just knowing what other investors are looking at can help you understand — and likely dismiss — any short-term volatility the future might bring. For those who see Tesla as a fundamentally strong business with huge growth opportunities, any downturn could be an opportunity to invest more in the EV giant.

This article was originally published on Fool.com. All figures quoted in US dollars unless otherwise stated.

Wondering where you should invest $1,000 right now?

When investing expert Scott Phillips has a stock tip, it can pay to listen. After all, the flagship Motley Fool Share Advisor newsletter he has run for over ten years has provided thousands of paying members with stock picks that have doubled, tripled or even more.*

Scott just revealed what he believes could be the 'five best ASX stocks' for investors to buy right now. We believe these stocks are trading at attractive prices and Scott thinks they could be great buys right now...

See The 5 Stocks *Returns as of 9 January 2025

Dan Caplinger has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool Australia's parent company Motley Fool Holdings Inc. owns shares of and has recommended Tesla. The Motley Fool Australia has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. This article contains general investment advice only (under AFSL 400691). Authorised by Bruce Jackson.

More on International Stock News

Confused African-American girls in casual clothing standing outdoors and comparing information on smartphones.
International Stock News

Better artificial intelligence (AI) stock for 2025: Nvidia vs. Microsoft

Nvidia has significantly outperformed Microsoft stock over the past couple of years.

Read more »

A young man clasps his hand to his head with his eyes closed and a pained expression on his face as he clasps a laptop computer in front of him, seemingly learning of bad news or a poor investment.
International Stock News

3 subtle investing mistakes I won't repeat in 2025 and beyond

You can avoid the mistakes I made...

Read more »

A bemused woman tries to choose between two slices of cake she holds on two plates.
International Stock News

What's the better long-term investment: The Nasdaq-100 or the top S&P 500 growth stocks?

Investing in top growth stocks can be a great way for investors to grow their portfolios in the long run.

Read more »

man looking happy and excited as he looks at his mobile phone
International Stock News

Jensen Huang just delivered incredible news for Nvidia stock investors

At the CES 2025 technology conference, CEO Jensen Huang highlighted a new multitrillion-dollar opportunity.

Read more »

Happy young couple doing road trip in tropical city.
International Stock News

Why electric vehicle stocks like Tesla just rallied

Wondering what caused Tesla and these other EV shares to pop?

Read more »

a woman with her hands over her face splits her fingers over one eye so she can peep through them.
International Stock News

Will Nvidia stock fall below $100 in 2025?

A worrisome precedent has been set by market leaders of game-changing technologies and innovations.

Read more »

An elephant standing on a chair looking down at a mouse
International Stock News

Should you buy shares in the largest company in the world?

Today, about half of the 20 biggest companies by market value are in the technology industry.

Read more »

a couple clink champagne glasses on board a private aircraft with gourmet food plates set in front of them. They are wearing designer clothes and looking wealthy.
International Stock News

Tesla stock vs Amazon: Billionaires are buying one and selling the other

Several Wall Street billionaires have been making some moves!

Read more »