Rule reminder
Italian economic journalism uses specific vocabulary: 'il PIL' (GDP), 'lo spread' (interest rate differential between Italian and German bonds), 'il crollo dei mercati' (market crash), 'la ripresa economica' (economic recovery), 'l'austerità' (austerity), 'la deflazione/inflazione', 'il debito pubblico' (public debt), 'il rating' (credit rating). Many English terms are used untranslated in Italian financial journalism.
An Italian financial headline reads: 'Lo spread vola a 350 punti base: panico sui mercati.' What is 'lo spread' in this context?