+1 sessions
Median return -0.30%Completed observations: 13
- Middle 50%
- -0.44% … -0.01%
- Positive returns
- 23%
British Pound / Japanese Yen · Sigma Moves
Closed-period price moves, measured against their own history. One engine. Five markets. No forecasts.
Latest closed period
British Pound / Japanese Yen's latest move against its own history.
GBPJPY Very rare
+1.80%
+3.10σ
About once every 66 trading sessions
18 comparable moves / 1,190 observations
What happened afterwards
All history-qualified moves of at least 2.5σ. Results after the event are descriptive statistics, not trading instructions.
+7 sessions
Median return -0.49%Completed observations: 13
- Middle 50%
- -0.68% … +0.53%
- Positive returns
- 38%
+30 sessions
Median return +1.04%Completed observations: 13
- Middle 50%
- -1.52% … +1.90%
- Positive returns
- 69%
Every rare move, in context
Instrument: GBPJPY=X (price return)
| Date | σ | Move | Observed rarity | +1 sessions | +7 sessions | +30 sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20 Apr 2022 | +3.10σ | +1.80% | About once every 66 trading sessions18 comparable moves / 1,190 observations | -0.62% | -3.14% | -3.58% |
| 23 Mar 2022 | +3.72σ | +2.21% | About once every 195 trading sessions6 comparable moves / 1,170 observations | -0.63% | -0.56% | +1.04% |
| 7 Mar 2022 | -3.24σ | -1.49% | About once every 83 trading sessions14 comparable moves / 1,158 observations | -0.39% | +1.61% | +8.86% |
| 3 Mar 2022 | +2.58σ | +1.05% | About once every 40 trading sessions29 comparable moves / 1,156 observations | -0.37% | -0.88% | +6.29% |
| 5 Nov 2021 | -3.25σ | -1.56% | About once every 82 trading sessions13 comparable moves / 1,072 observations | -0.44% | -0.49% | -1.52% |
| 24 Sep 2021 | +3.28σ | +1.23% | About once every 95 trading sessions11 comparable moves / 1,042 observations | +0.02% | -0.26% | +1.58% |
| 21 Sep 2021 | -3.26σ | -0.98% | About once every 94 trading sessions11 comparable moves / 1,039 observations | -0.30% | +0.53% | +4.20% |
| 12 Jul 2021 | +2.60σ | +1.18% | About once every 43 trading sessions23 comparable moves / 988 observations | -0.01% | -2.17% | -2.33% |
| 21 Jun 2021 | -2.67σ | -0.98% | About once every 44 trading sessions22 comparable moves / 973 observations | +0.94% | +0.47% | +0.11% |
| 28 May 2021 | +3.36σ | +1.21% | About once every 106 trading sessions9 comparable moves / 957 observations | -0.07% | -0.68% | -2.92% |
| 24 Mar 2021 | -3.08σ | -1.19% | About once every 76 trading sessions12 comparable moves / 910 observations | -0.05% | +2.70% | +1.90% |
| 10 Nov 2020 | +2.97σ | +1.73% | About once every 63 trading sessions13 comparable moves / 814 observations | +0.82% | -0.52% | +0.39% |
| 4 Nov 2020 | +3.13σ | +1.35% | About once every 74 trading sessions11 comparable moves / 810 observations | -1.28% | +0.54% | +1.57% |
The number has a method behind it
Sigma measures the size of a log return relative to volatility estimated before the period. Rarity is counted from actual historical standardized moves, not inferred from a normal distribution.
σt = ln(Ct / Ct−1) / vtvt ← t−1, t−2, …
Volatility adapts to the market regime with EWMA (λ = 0.94 for daily and weekly observations). Current-period returns are excluded. Each historical σ uses its own prior volatility.
Both directions count toward rarity. Reference history spans up to five years. A period with no prior exceedances is labelled unprecedented in the observed sample; it is never given an invented recurrence interval.
Stock observations use split-adjusted price returns, without dividend reinvestment. Commodities are explicitly labelled ETF price proxies; they do not represent spot commodity prices.
Questions behind the sigma
What does a 3σ move mean?
The period log return is three times the volatility estimated from earlier periods. Sigma is signed: negative for declines and positive for rises.
Why not calculate rarity from a normal distribution?
Market returns have heavy tails and changing volatility. We count actual past absolute sigma exceedances for the same instrument and period.
Does “once every 200 days” predict the next event?
No. It is the number of historical observed periods divided by comparable moves. Events can cluster and the market regime can change.
How much history is required?
At least three years of valid standardized observations, after a one-year volatility warm-up. This normally requires approximately four years of source history.
Are all instruments directly comparable?
The engine is shared, but each instrument has its own prices, calendar, volatility and reference sample. Commodity cards use explicitly labelled ETF proxies.
What happens on quiet days?
The page shows the largest covered standardized move, the complete rarity scale and recent records. Missing data is reported separately from market calm.
For information only. Historical observations are not investment advice and do not predict future moves. A rare move can be followed by another rare move.