Realized volatility, also known as historical volatility, measures the actual price fluctuations of an asset over a specific past period. It is calculated by analyzing historical price data, typically using the standard deviation of logarithmic returns. This measurement provides a quantitative basis for assessing an asset’s historical risk profile.
Data
The calculation of realized volatility relies entirely on historical price data, making it an objective measure of past market behavior. The choice of time horizon for the data significantly impacts the resulting volatility figure, with shorter periods capturing recent fluctuations and longer periods reflecting broader trends. This data is essential for backtesting trading strategies and comparing historical risk levels.
Metric
As a key metric, realized volatility serves as a benchmark for comparing against implied volatility, which represents market expectations of future volatility. When implied volatility exceeds realized volatility, options are considered expensive, and vice versa. This comparison is fundamental to volatility trading strategies, where traders seek to profit from discrepancies between historical and forward-looking volatility measures.
