GD
General Dynamics Corporation Industrials - Defense Investor Relations →
General Dynamics Corporation (GD) closed at $360.07 as of 2026-02-02, trading 40.4% above its 200-week moving average of $256.44. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 37.3% last week. The 14-week RSI sits at 62, indicating neutral momentum.
Over the past 3296 weeks of data, GD has crossed below its 200-week moving average 40 times. On average, these episodes lasted 20 weeks. Historically, investors who bought GD at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +22.2%.
With a market cap of $97.4 billion, GD is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 3.5%. Return on equity stands at 17.7%, a solid level. The stock trades at 3.8x book value.
GD is a Dividend Aristocrat, having increased its dividend for 25 or more consecutive years. The current yield is 167.00%. GD passes our Buffett quality screen: high return on equity, low debt, and positive free cash flow.
Over the past 33.2 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in GD would have grown to $7241, compared to $2849 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 13.8% vs 10.6% for the index — confirming GD as a market-beating investment and the kind of quality company where buying during 200-week moving average touches has historically been rewarded.
Free cash flow has been growing at a 4.5% compound annual rate, with 4 consecutive years of positive cash generation.
Growth of $100: GD vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After GD Crosses Below the Line?
Across 15 historical episodes, buying GD when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +10.7% after 12 months (median +11.0%), compared to +14.9% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 64% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +34.9% vs +35.8% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment GD crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
GD has crossed below its 200-week MA 40 times with an average 1-year return of +22.2% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan 1963 | Jan 1963 | 2 | 3.9% | -13.6% | +231426.3% |
| Feb 1963 | Feb 1964 | 52 | 13.7% | +6.5% | +235714.0% |
| Apr 1964 | May 1964 | 5 | 8.2% | +64.8% | +236996.8% |
| Jul 1964 | Jul 1964 | 1 | 0.3% | +52.6% | +235883.8% |
| Apr 1968 | Apr 1968 | 2 | 5.0% | -7.3% | +127648.7% |
| Jul 1968 | Apr 1972 | 192 | 59.7% | -48.7% | +118682.1% |
| Jun 1972 | Jun 1972 | 1 | 2.2% | -37.0% | +203143.2% |
| Jun 1972 | Jul 1972 | 5 | 12.1% | -39.3% | +207891.8% |
| Aug 1972 | Sep 1972 | 3 | 8.2% | -15.6% | +210848.9% |
| Oct 1972 | Nov 1972 | 7 | 15.6% | +13.5% | +231724.1% |
| Dec 1972 | Jan 1973 | 2 | 0.5% | -25.6% | +219162.3% |
| Jan 1973 | Sep 1973 | 36 | 32.3% | -5.4% | +241803.6% |
| Dec 1973 | Feb 1974 | 12 | 20.0% | -26.2% | +264841.8% |
| Apr 1974 | Apr 1974 | 1 | 0.9% | +69.1% | +236656.5% |
| Jun 1974 | Jun 1974 | 1 | 0.0% | +103.1% | +232937.9% |
| Jun 1974 | Jan 1975 | 30 | 38.6% | +123.6% | +232937.9% |
| Feb 1975 | Feb 1975 | 1 | 0.6% | +92.5% | +237922.7% |
| Jan 1978 | Apr 1978 | 12 | 10.2% | +118.0% | +133164.2% |
| Aug 1981 | Sep 1981 | 1 | 0.4% | +57.4% | +45685.2% |
| Sep 1981 | Oct 1981 | 2 | 7.8% | +58.8% | +48898.2% |
| Nov 1981 | Nov 1981 | 1 | 1.6% | +30.1% | +44394.1% |
| Jan 1982 | Jan 1982 | 3 | 7.6% | +42.7% | +44394.1% |
| Feb 1982 | Apr 1982 | 9 | 16.1% | +75.5% | +42894.4% |
| Apr 1987 | Jun 1987 | 7 | 3.8% | -13.8% | +14406.5% |
| Oct 1987 | Jul 1991 | 195 | 58.2% | -18.3% | +14707.6% |
| Sep 1991 | Sep 1991 | 2 | 2.0% | +89.3% | +20770.4% |
| Feb 2000 | Mar 2000 | 5 | 14.0% | +64.0% | +2874.3% |
| Jan 2003 | Jun 2003 | 20 | 24.5% | +42.4% | +1696.1% |
| Sep 2008 | Jan 2010 | 66 | 47.3% | -5.0% | +694.6% |
| Jan 2010 | Feb 2010 | 4 | 2.8% | +11.6% | +678.4% |
| May 2010 | Oct 2010 | 23 | 16.2% | +11.1% | +669.2% |
| Nov 2010 | Dec 2010 | 4 | 1.9% | +1.5% | +669.6% |
| Aug 2011 | Oct 2011 | 11 | 14.9% | +0.9% | +679.5% |
| Oct 2011 | Nov 2011 | 4 | 5.1% | +11.7% | +685.2% |
| Dec 2011 | Dec 2011 | 1 | 1.6% | +10.0% | +688.3% |
| Dec 2018 | Jan 2019 | 4 | 9.8% | +21.3% | +183.0% |
| Mar 2019 | Mar 2019 | 3 | 1.6% | +0.4% | +154.9% |
| May 2019 | Jun 2019 | 3 | 5.1% | -19.3% | +153.0% |
| Jan 2020 | Feb 2020 | 1 | 0.2% | -13.8% | +135.9% |
| Feb 2020 | Mar 2021 | 53 | 35.6% | +5.5% | +159.2% |
| Average | 20 | — | +22.2% | — |
Not financial advice. This is an educational tool. Past performance does not guarantee future results. Do your own research before making investment decisions.
Data as of Friday close, 2026-02-02