First Bancorp (FBNC Quick QuoteFBNC - Free Report) reached a significant support level, and could be a good pick for investors from a technical perspective. Recently, FBNC's 50-day simple moving average broke out above its 200-day moving average; this is 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.

Golden crosses have three key stages that investors look out for. It starts with a downtrend in a stock's price that eventually bottoms out, followed by the stock's shorter moving average crossing over its longer moving average and triggering a trend reversal. The final stage is when a stock continues the upward climb to higher prices.

A golden cross is the opposite of a death cross, another technical event that indicates bearish price movement may be on the horizon.

Over the past four weeks, FBNC has gained 21.1%. 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 FBNC's earnings expectations, investors will be even more convinced of the bullish uptrend. For the current quarter, there have been 3 changes higher compared to none lower over the past 60 days, and the Zacks Consensus Estimate has moved up as well.

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