Words in the News - volatile

volatile
Following no predictable pattern.
Synonym: capricious, changeable, erratic, fickle, freakish, inconsistent, inconstant, temperamental, uncertain, unpredictable, unstable, unsteady, variable

Examples from wsj.com:
"Utility stocks tend to trade in a less volatile manner than say technology stocks."
"China's markets are notoriously volatile and often move in exaggerated swings."