The S&P 500 index has experienced a "death cross" for the first time in 3 years.

On April 15, the S&P 500 index of U.S. stocks rose on Monday, but there was a “death cross” signal - the 50-day moving average crossed below the 200-day moving average - for the first time since March 2022. Technical analysts often see a death cross as a sign that the downtrend is about to worsen. While the index has typically fallen further after a death cross in the past, the pain tends to be short-lived. According to the data, the overall average of the S&P 500 is higher after 3, 6 and 12 months, with gains of 2.5%, 4.2% and 5.8%, respectively. Paul Ciana, chief technical strategist at BofA Securities, said that the impact of the death cross of the S&P 500 index on the market outlook is inconclusive. One key is whether the 200-day moving average at the close has fallen over the past five trading days. If it is, it could indicate that the stock market will have more room to move lower in the near future. According to Ciana, this could be a clear signal that the index fears a retest of last week’s 2025 lows.