What role does standard deviation play in predicting market trends?
Understanding the volatility of the market is crucial for predicting trends, and standard deviation is a statistical measure that can help you gauge this volatility. It quantifies the variation or dispersion of a set of financial returns relative to their mean. The higher the standard deviation, the more scattered the returns, indicating a riskier investment. Conversely, a lower standard deviation suggests a more stable asset. By analyzing past performance through standard deviation, you can estimate the risk involved in future investments and make more informed decisions about where to allocate your resources.