Volatility clustering is a phenomenon observed in financial markets where high-volatility periods are often followed by high-volatility periods, and low-volatility periods are followed by low-volatility periods. This behavior suggests that the market's volatility is not constant but rather exhibits a tendency to persist over time. The reason for this clustering can often be attributed to market psychology, where investor reactions to news or events can lead to a series of price movements that amplify volatility.
Mathematically, this can be modeled using autoregressive conditional heteroskedasticity (ARCH) models, where the conditional variance of returns depends on past squared returns. For example, if we denote the return at time as , the ARCH model can be expressed as:
where is the conditional variance, is a constant, and are coefficients that determine the influence of past squared returns. Understanding volatility clustering is crucial for risk management and derivative pricing, as it allows traders and analysts to better forecast potential future market movements.
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