Historical Volatility
The past standard deviation of a security that is used in security analysis. Standard deviation measures the changes in the past price of a security the higher the standard deviation the more volatile the security.
Investopedia Commentary
The idea behind looking at historical volatility in security analysis is that it will give you an idea of the future volatility of the security. For example, if the historical volatility of a security was high, meaning that the price varied a great deal over a period, then it might continue this volatility into the future.
Related Links
Understanding Volatility Measurements
The Uses And Limits Of Volatility
See also: Implied Volatility - IV, Standard Deviation, Vega, Volatility
Historical Volatility - HV
The realized volatility of a financial instrument over a given time period. Generally, this measure is calculated by determining the average deviation from the average price of a financial instrument in the given time period. Standard deviation is the most common but not the only way to calculate historical volatility.
Investopedia Commentary
This measure is frequently compared with implied volatility to determine if options prices are over- or undervalued. Historical volatility is also used in all types of risk valuations. Stocks with a high historical volatility usually require a higher risk tolerance.
Related Links
The Uses And Limits Of Volatility
Risk Graphs: Visualizing Your Profit Potential
Introduction to Value at Risk (VAR) - Part 1
See also: Beta, Implied Volatility, Standard Deviation, Value at Risk, Variance, Volatility
Also spelled: HV