Alerus Financial (ALRS) is looking like an interesting pick from a technical perspective, as the company reached a key level of support. Recently, ALRS's 50-day simple moving average crossed above its 200-day simple moving average, known as a "golden cross."

A golden cross is a technical chart pattern that can signify a potential bullish breakout. It's formed from a crossover involving a security's short-term moving average breaking above a longer-term moving average, with the most common moving averages being the 50-day and the 200-day, since bigger time periods tend to form stronger breakouts.

There are three stages to a golden cross. First, there must be a downtrend in a stock's price that eventually bottoms out. Then, the stock's shorter moving average crosses over its longer moving average, triggering a positive trend reversal. The third stage is when a stock continues the upward momentum to higher prices.

This kind of chart pattern is the opposite of a death cross, which is a technical event that suggests future bearish price movement.

Shares of ALRS have been moving higher over the past four weeks, up 7.4%. Plus, the company is currently a #3 (Hold) on the Zacks Rank, suggesting that ALRS could be poised for a breakout.

Once investors consider ALRS's positive earnings outlook for the current quarter, the bullish case only solidifies. No earnings estimate has gone lower in the past two months compared to 1 revisions higher, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has increased as well.

Investors may want to watch ALRS for more gains in the near future given the company's key technical level and positive earnings estimate revisions.

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