Abstract In this paper we present the methods of determination and the stress obtained at the periphery of a cold expanded hole in a 2024-T3 Alclad aluminum alloy sheet. The measurements in the aluminum clad were performed by the sin2? method, taking experimental precautions to deal with the texture effects. In the core aluminum a special method had to be implemented to determine the stress values in a direction not accessible to the X-ray diffraction. The strains were measured in sample orientations selected according to the texture characteristics and stress factorsF ij were used to calculate the stress tensor. TheF ij values were determined assuming a quasi-isotropic material behavior, after concluding that the stress results were not significantly affected by factors calculated for textured material. The residual stress profile, both in the clad and in the sheet, shows a nearly axisymmetric stress state. Compressive stresses were observed near the periphery of the hole, with values that are higher on the exit than on the entrance face. Residual stresses were also higher in the hoop direction than in the radial direction. They decreased with the radial distance to the hole and affected the previous stress state over a distance of 6 mm. The plastic deformation induced by the cold expansion is well evidenced by the FWHM values, which in the affected zone decrease with increasing distance from the hole edge. ; http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/BF02428993