First Financial Bancorp (FFBC) Now Trades Above Golden Cross: Time to Buy?

First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC) is looking like an interesting pick from a technical perspective, as the company reached a key level of support. Recently, FFBC's 50-day simple moving average crossed above its 200-day simple moving average, known as a "golden cross."There's a reason traders love a golden cross -- it's a technical chart pattern that can indicate a bullish breakout is on the horizon. This kind of crossover is formed when a stock's short-term moving average breaks above a longer-term moving average. Typically, a golden cross involves the 50-day and the 200-day moving averages, since bigger time periods tend to form stronger breakouts.A successful golden cross event has three stages. It first begins when a stock's price on the decline bottoms out. Then, its shorter moving average crosses above its longer moving average, triggering a positive trend reversal. The third and final phase occurs when the stock maintains its upward momentum.This kind of chart pattern is the opposite of a death cross, which is a technical event that suggests future bearish price movement.Over the past four weeks, FFBC has gained 10.9%. The company currently sits at a #2 (Buy) on the Zacks Rank, also indicating that the stock could be poised for a breakout.Looking at FFBC's earnings expectations, investors will be even more convinced of the bullish uptrend. For the current quarter, there have been 2 changes higher compared to none lower over the past 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has moved up as well.Investors should think about putting FFBCon their watchlist given the ultra-important technical indicator and positive move in earnings estimates.Free Report: Profiting from the 2nd Wave of AI ExplosionThe next phase of the AI explosion is poised to create significant wealth for investors, especially those who get in early. It will add literally trillion of dollars to the economy and revolutionize nearly every part of our lives.Investors who bought shares like Nvidia at the right time have had a shot at huge gains.But the rocket ride in the "first wave" of AI stocks may soon come to an end. The sharp upward trajectory of these stocks will begin to level off, leaving exponential growth to a new wave of cutting-edge companies.Zacks' AI Boom 2.0: The Second Wave report reveals 4 under-the-radar companies that may soon be shining stars of AI’s next leap forward.Access AI Boom 2.0 now, absolutely free >>Want the latest recommendations from Zacks Investment Research? Today, you can download 7 Best Stocks for the Next 30 Days. Click to get this free report First Financial Bancorp. (FFBC): Free Stock Analysis ReportThis article originally published on Zacks Investment Research (zacks.com).Zacks Investment ResearchWeiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks Weiter zum vollständigen Artikel bei Zacks