RS
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. Materials - Metal Distribution Investor Relations →
Reliance Steel & Aluminum Co. (RS) closed at $353.27 as of 2026-02-02, trading 36.7% above its 200-week moving average of $258.45. The stock moved further from the line this week, up from 27.9% last week. With a 14-week RSI of 86, RS is in overbought territory.
Over the past 1590 weeks of data, RS has crossed below its 200-week moving average 18 times. On average, these episodes lasted 11 weeks. Historically, investors who bought RS at the start of these episodes saw an average one-year return of +34.1%.
With a market cap of $18.6 billion, RS is a large-cap stock. The company generates a free cash flow yield of 2.6%. Return on equity stands at 10.0%. The stock trades at 2.5x book value.
The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count by 13.1% over the past three years.
Over the past 30.6 years, a hypothetical investment of $100 in RS would have grown to $12774, compared to $2085 for the S&P 500. That represents an annualized return of 17.2% vs 10.4% for the index — confirming RS 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 volatile over the past several years, making the quality of earnings harder to assess.
Growth of $100: RS vs S&P 500
Monthly data normalized to $100 at start. Vertical dashed lines mark 200-week MA touches.
What Happens After RS Crosses Below the Line?
Across 18 historical episodes, buying RS when it crossed below its 200-week moving average produced an average return of +32.2% after 12 months (median +33.0%), compared to +11.7% for the S&P 500 over the same periods. 89% of those episodes were profitable after one year. After 24 months, the average return was +54.0% vs +25.4% for the index.
Each line shows $100 invested at the moment RS crossed below its 200-week MA. Bold blue = stock average. Gray dashed = S&P 500 average over same periods.
Historical Touches
RS has crossed below its 200-week MA 18 times with an average 1-year return of +34.1% after recovery.
| Crossed Below | Recovered | Weeks | Max Depth | 1-Year Return | Return Since Touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 2000 | Mar 2000 | 5 | 1.6% | +46.8% | +5392.6% |
| Jun 2000 | Jul 2000 | 3 | 3.8% | +43.9% | +5292.0% |
| Sep 2001 | Sep 2001 | 1 | 6.6% | +15.9% | +4802.5% |
| Sep 2002 | Aug 2003 | 48 | 39.7% | -2.5% | +4470.7% |
| Sep 2003 | Sep 2003 | 3 | 6.6% | +77.6% | +4292.9% |
| Sep 2008 | Dec 2009 | 64 | 64.2% | +32.6% | +1477.7% |
| Jan 2010 | Feb 2010 | 3 | 5.3% | +29.3% | +1069.3% |
| May 2010 | Jun 2010 | 1 | 1.7% | +12.0% | +1009.8% |
| Jun 2010 | Nov 2010 | 19 | 18.4% | +17.4% | +1048.0% |
| Nov 2010 | Nov 2010 | 1 | 0.1% | -3.9% | +969.3% |
| Aug 2011 | Oct 2011 | 12 | 21.7% | +22.8% | +1007.3% |
| Nov 2011 | Nov 2011 | 1 | 2.4% | +37.0% | +1012.7% |
| Jan 2015 | Mar 2015 | 10 | 10.5% | -3.2% | +675.8% |
| Apr 2015 | Apr 2015 | 1 | 3.2% | +32.2% | +675.8% |
| Jul 2015 | Jul 2015 | 1 | 0.5% | +44.6% | +636.3% |
| Aug 2015 | Feb 2016 | 28 | 13.3% | +32.1% | +666.5% |
| Dec 2018 | Dec 2018 | 2 | 0.6% | +75.5% | +468.3% |
| Mar 2020 | Apr 2020 | 3 | 9.8% | +104.4% | +424.6% |
| Average | 11 | — | +34.1% | — |
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