Glossary entry (derived from question below)
French term or phrase:
écartement
English translation:
widening/widen
Added to glossary by
Matthew Docherty
Nov 10, 2020 18:47
3 yrs ago
36 viewers *
French term
écartement
French to English
Bus/Financial
Investment / Securities
Hi all, I'm looking for the best way to translate "écartement" in the following example sentences:
1. "le spread subit un écartement modéré de +3bps"
(N.B. I would like to avoid "spread" for "écartement" as "spread" is already in the sentence).
2. "les spreads Investment Grade ont retracé près de 50% de l’écartement".
Many thanks! :)
1. "le spread subit un écartement modéré de +3bps"
(N.B. I would like to avoid "spread" for "écartement" as "spread" is already in the sentence).
2. "les spreads Investment Grade ont retracé près de 50% de l’écartement".
Many thanks! :)
Proposed translations
(English)
| 5 +3 | widening/widen |
Rob Grayson
|
| 3 -1 | distancing |
Lisa Rosengard
|
Proposed translations
+3
27 mins
Rob Grayson
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
Specializes in field
United Kingdom
Related KudoZ points
:
62
Selected
widening/widen
It helps to understand what a "spread" is. In this specific context, the spread is the difference between the yield offered by a given bond and that offered by a benchmark bond, usually a sovereign. It is thus generally taken as a measure of a security's riskiness relative to that of Treasuries, gilts, Bunds or whatever the benchmark sovereign bond is for the country in question.
Spreads can widen, which means the difference in yields between the bond in question and the relevant benchmark increases, or they can narrow, which means the difference decreases. In French, "écartement" is widening and "resserrement" is narrowing.
So, for your two examples, I'd suggest something along the following lines:
1. The spread widened a moderate 3 bps.
2. Investment grade spreads retraced almost 50% of their widening.
Spreads can widen, which means the difference in yields between the bond in question and the relevant benchmark increases, or they can narrow, which means the difference decreases. In French, "écartement" is widening and "resserrement" is narrowing.
So, for your two examples, I'd suggest something along the following lines:
1. The spread widened a moderate 3 bps.
2. Investment grade spreads retraced almost 50% of their widening.
Note from asker:
| Very clear explanation, thank you Rob. I'll add it the glossary once the 24 hours have passed. |
Peer comment(s):
| agree |
mrrafe
: exactly
3 mins
|
| agree |
philgoddard
: It can also be translated simply as increase/decrease. But I don't understand what you mean by "retraced their widening".//OK! It seems an odd use of "retrace", which implies "repeat". "Retract" would make sense,
6 mins
|
|
"Retraced" is just analyst lingo for "reversed" or "undid". Oh, and just about any serious investment analyst will use widening/narrowing rather than increasing/decreasing. // Jargon makes perfect sense… to the initiated.
|
|
| agree |
SafeTex
: https://www.investopedia.com/terms/y/yieldspread.asp
5 hrs
|
4 KudoZ points awarded for this answer.
-1
21 hrs
Lisa Rosengard
United Kingdom
United Kingdom
Native in English
United Kingdom
experienced and well qualified linguist
Native in: English (Variant: UK)
Works in: Spanish to English, English, Spanish, and 3 more.
distancing
"The spread raises a distance moderated by 3."
"They have traced (re-traced or found) approximately 50% of the gap, space or distance."
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Note added at 2 days 15 hrs (2020-11-13 10:15:42 GMT) Post-grading
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https://www.linguee.com/english-french/search?source=auto&qu...
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Note added at 2 days 16 hrs (2020-11-13 11:20:33 GMT) Post-grading
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"The activity makes a moderate gap, space or distance of 3.
Specifically in connection with investment, apparently the specialist lingo required is not the same.
Do excuse or discard.
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Note added at 4 days (2020-11-15 13:01:21 GMT) Post-grading
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l'éparcement et la réduction
l'éloignement et la proximité
"They have traced (re-traced or found) approximately 50% of the gap, space or distance."
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 15 hrs (2020-11-13 10:15:42 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
https://www.linguee.com/english-french/search?source=auto&qu...
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 2 days 16 hrs (2020-11-13 11:20:33 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
"The activity makes a moderate gap, space or distance of 3.
Specifically in connection with investment, apparently the specialist lingo required is not the same.
Do excuse or discard.
--------------------------------------------------
Note added at 4 days (2020-11-15 13:01:21 GMT) Post-grading
--------------------------------------------------
l'éparcement et la réduction
l'éloignement et la proximité
Note from asker:
| I'm afraid I have to agree with Rob, "modéré" here is also an adjective (meaning "slight" or "moderate"), not a verb (moderated by). |
Peer comment(s):
| disagree |
Rob Grayson
: Sorry Lisa but this is absolute nonsense. This is specialist lingo that you either know or you don't.
15 hrs
|
Discussion
I.e., there's no customarily recognized alternative technical term. But, if you must, "difference" or "differential" would convey the meaning. "Yield" also would be factually correct but a step beyond what the author intended to say.