Two S&P 500 stocks ended Friday, July 17, with a widely watched bullish chart signal. Hormel Foods (NYSE: HRL) and Zebra Technologies (Nasdaq: ZBRA) each saw its 50-day simple moving average rise above its 200-day average—a pattern traders call a golden cross.
A screen supplied to The Daily Newsfront returned only those two names after Friday’s close. An independent calculation using daily closing prices reproduced both crossovers: HRL’s 50-day average finished at about $23.32 against a 200-day average near $23.27, while ZBRA’s 50-day average reached roughly $248.08 against a 200-day average near $247.57.
The crossovers confirm that recent prices have improved enough to overtake the longer trend. They do not, by themselves, prove that either stock has entered a lasting bull market or that investors should buy it.
The numbers
- Hormel Foods: HRL closed at $25.39 on July 17, down 1.24% for the session. The stock stood about 9.1% above its 200-day average and had gained roughly 21.5% over the preceding three months.
- Zebra Technologies: ZBRA closed at $267.40, up 0.89% for the day. It was about 8.0% above its 200-day average and had advanced roughly 14.7% over the preceding three months.
The timing was unusually clean. On July 16, HRL’s 50-day average was still about 3 cents below its 200-day line; one session later it was roughly 5 cents above. ZBRA moved from about 42 cents below its longer average to about 51 cents above it.
Why traders call it a golden cross
Nasdaq defines a golden cross as the bullish signal produced when a 50-day moving average crosses above a 200-day moving average. The shorter average responds faster to recent prices, so a crossover indicates that intermediate momentum has improved relative to the longer trend.
That signal is backward-looking. Moving averages summarize prices that have already occurred, and the 50-day and 200-day lines can cross again if a rally fades. Fidelity cautions that investors should not mechanically buy or sell on a moving-average signal and should combine it with fundamental and other technical information.
Hormel’s recovery has fundamental support—and limits
Hormel’s chart improvement follows a stronger operating quarter. The food company reported fiscal second-quarter net sales of $2.97 billion, 3% organic sales growth and adjusted earnings of 40 cents a share. It also reaffirmed fiscal 2026 adjusted earnings guidance of $1.43 to $1.51 per share, which would represent growth of 4% to 10%.
The caution is that reported results still include the effects of portfolio reshaping and cost pressure. Hormel recorded a $61 million loss tied to the sale of its whole-bird turkey business, and retail volume fell 2% in the quarter. The company’s updated GAAP earnings guidance was lower than its previous range even as adjusted guidance held steady. Those details make the next earnings report important evidence for whether the price recovery can persist. Hormel’s full quarterly release provides the underlying figures.
Zebra’s momentum is tied to growth and automation demand
Zebra’s recent results offer a different backdrop. The maker of barcode scanners, mobile computers and workflow technology reported first-quarter net sales of $1.495 billion, up 14.3% from a year earlier. Organic sales rose 4.3%, adjusted EBITDA increased to $347 million and the company raised its full-year outlook.
Zebra now expects 2026 sales growth of 10% to 14%, including about seven percentage points from acquisitions and currency effects. That distinction matters: the headline growth rate is stronger than the company’s underlying organic trend, and investors still need to watch integration, debt and end-market demand. Zebra had $2.66 billion of total debt at the end of the first quarter after repurchasing $300 million of stock. Its first-quarter release details those results and risks.
What to watch next
The first test is simple: can both stocks stay above their rising 200-day averages? A drop back below that line, followed by the 50-day average turning lower, would weaken the signal. Investors can also watch whether trading volume expands on advances and contracts on pullbacks, which may help distinguish durable demand from a short-lived rebound.
Company updates matter more than the chart alone. Zebra is scheduled to report second-quarter results on August 4, while Hormel’s next quarterly update will show whether its margin improvement and organic sales growth continued. For now, the golden crosses put both names on momentum watchlists. They do not settle the harder question of whether the businesses can deliver enough growth to support the move.
Market data are as of the July 17, 2026 close. This article is for informational purposes and is not investment advice.
