Calculate average return and volatility from a list of percentage returns.
Enter percentage returns separated by commas or new lines. Example: 2.5, -1.2, 3.8, -0.5
Use 252 for daily returns, 52 for weekly returns, or 12 for monthly returns.
Data Points
Average Return
Volatility
Annualized Volatility
Quick Summary
Volatility measures how much returns move up and down over time. In trading and investing, higher volatility usually means larger price swings and higher uncertainty. Traders use volatility to compare assets, size positions and estimate risk.
Volatility is one of the most important concepts in risk management. A highly volatile asset can create larger gains, but it can also produce deeper losses. Understanding volatility helps traders choose stop loss distance, adjust leverage and compare opportunities across different markets.
This calculator uses standard deviation of returns:
Annualized volatility is estimated by multiplying the volatility by the square root of the number of periods in a year.
Enter percentage returns for each period, such as daily, weekly or monthly returns. Example: 1.2, -0.8, 2.4, -1.1
Annualized volatility estimates how volatile the asset would be over a full year, based on the return frequency you entered.
Not always. Higher volatility means bigger price movement, which can create opportunity. But it also increases risk and usually requires better position sizing and risk control.