Moving Averages Cheat Sheet
Which MA periods to use, what signals matter, and when to ignore the crossover.
Quick reference table
| Short-term trend | 9-EMA or 20-EMA |
| Intermediate trend | 50-SMA |
| Long-term trend / regime | 200-SMA |
| Golden cross | 50-SMA crosses above 200-SMA (bullish long-term) |
| Death cross | 50-SMA crosses below 200-SMA (bearish long-term) |
| Trend alignment (uptrend) | Price > 20 > 50 > 200, all rising |
| Trend alignment (downtrend) | Price < 20 < 50 < 200, all falling |
| MA as dynamic support | Pullbacks to 20-EMA in uptrends are entry zones |
| MA crossover entries | Only valid with ADX > 25 (trend confirmed) |
| Where MAs fail | Range-bound markets, choppy conditions |
Quick setups
- Pullback long: Price above 200-SMA, 50-SMA rising, price pulls back to 20-EMA, bounces with volume = entry.
- Trend break short: Price closes below 50-SMA after extended uptrend + 50-SMA flattens = exit signal for longs / setup for shorts.
- Long-term regime: Price + 50-SMA below 200-SMA = bear regime. Avoid taking long swing trades against this.