One common yardstick of volatility is standard deviation, which uses annualized monthly returns over time as a baseline.

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As a check, he compared our ranking to a more common yardstick, the number of published patents (arguably an even cruder measure).

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For many folks, the SAT is a rite of passage and is the common yardstick people use, for better or worse, in comparing their scores to the scores of their friends, parents and siblings.

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