Which of the following is a characteristic of predictive analytics?

Predictive analytics is focused primarily on using historical data to identify patterns and make informed forecasts about future events. This approach helps organizations anticipate potential outcomes and trends based on past behaviors and scenarios. By analyzing historical data, predictive analytics can uncover trends that may influence what is likely to happen in the future. This characteristic is crucial for businesses aiming to make proactive decisions based on anticipated developments.

In contrast, while summarizing historical data is an aspect of many analytics processes, it does not inherently involve predicting future outcomes. Recommendations for future actions and visualizing current data are also valuable components of data analysis but do not specifically capture the essence of predictive analytics, which is about forecasting rather than merely summarizing or recommending actions based on real-time or historical insights.