markdownmark·down /ˈmɑːkdaʊnˈmɑːrk-/ (also mark-down) noun [countableC]1COMMERCE the act of reducing the price of something, or the amount by which the price is reducedThe retailer’s losses come from clearance markdowns of goods.
2FINANCE a fall in the price of shares, bonds etca $200 million markdown of a high-risk portfolio of shares of start-up companies
Creditors will have to take big markdowns (=accept them) from the face value of their bonds.
3FINANCE a reduction in the RATING of bonds etc (=estimate of the risk that they will not be repaid)the rating agency’s markdown of the company’s commercial paper
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