To screen for a conventional death cross, look for the 50-day simple moving average (SMA) crossing below the 200-day SMA. Use a technical alert to monitor that moving-average relationship and a separate price alert to monitor when a stock reaches a chosen price. Neither alert predicts what the stock will do next.
What a death cross measures
A death cross is a shorter-term moving average crossing below a longer-term moving average. The familiar example is the 50-day SMA crossing below the 200-day SMA; the periods are common conventions, not a universal rule. Nasdaq’s definition describes the conventional pattern, while TradingView’s Moving Averages documentation explains how averages are calculated and interpreted.
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Be explicit about the average type and periods in your screen. An exponential moving average (EMA), or different lookback periods, produces a different condition from a 50/200-day SMA crossover.
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Moving averages are lagging indicators: they summarize past prices, so a crossover can appear after a stock has already fallen. TradingView says a moving average “is not used as a predictive indicator but rather an interpretive one, used for confirmations and analysis.” Treat a screen result as a candidate for further review, not as a forecast or automatic sell signal.
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How to screen stocks for the crossover
- Choose your universe. In a stock screener, set the market or symbol scope you want to examine. The results only cover the symbols included by that scope.
- Look for a technical crossover filter. Select a filter for a moving-average crossover, if the screener offers one, and specify the shorter average crossing below the longer average. For the conventional version, that means 50-day SMA below 200-day SMA as a crossover condition—not merely that one average is currently lower.
- Check how the filter is defined. Confirm the average type, periods, direction and any available interval or timing options. Screeners use different labels and may not expose the same filters in every market or account. TradingView documents technical filters, including moving averages and crossovers, in its Stock Screener and filter guide; that is an example, not a guarantee that every screener has an identical 50/200-day field.
- Review the matches. Check each chart and decide whether the condition is relevant to your analysis. The crossover describes the relationship between calculated averages; it does not establish a reason to buy or sell.
- Save symbols worth monitoring. Add selected stocks to a watchlist if you want to track them, then confirm which symbols the alert will cover.
Choose the alert that matches what you want to know
A technical alert monitors an indicator condition, such as one moving average crossing another. A price alert monitors a price threshold. They answer different questions; a stock price crossing a chosen level does not mean its moving averages have crossed.
| What you want to monitor | Alert type | Example condition | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|---|
| A moving-average relationship changes | Technical or indicator alert | Short moving average crosses down through long moving average | It does not predict the next price move; behavior depends on the indicator, interval and platform implementation. |
| Price reaches or passes a chosen level | Price alert | Price crosses down through a specified threshold | It does not detect a death cross. |
| Several selected stocks meet a condition | Watchlist alert | Apply a supported condition across a watchlist | Coverage depends on list membership and the alert’s current status. |
Set up and check an alert
The exact controls vary by platform. TradingView’s documentation provides one example of technical, watchlist and price alerts; product features and interfaces can differ by plan, market and device.
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For a crossover on one stock
- Open the stock’s chart and choose the moving-average condition you want to monitor. Make sure its type and periods match your intended definition—for example, 50-day SMA crossing below 200-day SMA.
- Create a technical alert for the crossover, rather than a price-threshold alert. TradingView’s technical-alert guide describes alerts for indicators and other technical conditions.
- Review the alert’s trigger frequency, expiration and message, then confirm that the alert is active. TradingView describes these configuration options in its alert configuration guide.
For multiple stocks
If your platform supports watchlist alerts, apply the condition to the intended list rather than creating separate alerts one by one. TradingView documents watchlist alerts across multiple symbols. Check list membership and alert status: adding or removing symbols can change which stocks are covered. TradingView also says open-ended alerts are not available for watchlist alerts, so choose an expiration that suits your monitoring period.
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Coverage may not always mean every symbol is being calculated continuously. TradingView’s limited-functionality documentation says an alert can continue for unaffected symbols while calculations are halted for affected symbols. Check the alert’s status and symbol coverage rather than assuming uninterrupted monitoring.
For a price level
- Choose the stock and enter the price threshold you care about.
- Select the direction or operator that matches your intent—for example, crossing down, crossing up, greater than or less than. TradingView lists these choices in its price-alert guide.
- Set the trigger frequency and expiration, and confirm the notification method. A price alert is useful for monitoring a level, but it is not a substitute for a crossover condition.
What to verify before relying on notifications
- Condition: Is the alert watching an indicator crossover or a price threshold?
- Definition: Are the moving-average type, periods, direction and interval the ones you intended?
- Coverage: Does the alert apply to the correct symbol or watchlist, and is the list still complete?
- Settings: Are trigger frequency and expiration appropriate for how long you want to monitor?
- Status and delivery: Is the alert active, and have you checked how the platform sends notifications?
Alert tools and limits can change, and availability may vary across plans, markets and devices. Check the platform’s current settings rather than assuming an alert will remain active indefinitely or cover every symbol in every circumstance.
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