Volatility has always been an integral part of the stock market. Prices go up and down and investors have long recognized that the frequency and magnitude of these swings often provide valuable information about the future. The Vix Volatility Index, the Average True Range, and Bollinger Bands are just a few examples of volatility indicators regularly monitored by traders to help assess bullish or bearish sentiment, overbought or oversold conditions or a peaking or basing pattern.