What is Financial Distress?

Financial distress is a term in corporate finance used to indicate a condition when promises to creditors of a company are broken or honored with difficulty. This is generally due to high fixed costs, illiquid assets, or revenues sensitive to economic downturns.

If financial distress cannot be relieved, it can lead to bankruptcy. Financial distress is usually associated with some costs to the company; these are known as costs of financial distress.

OTHER TERMS BEGINNING WITH "F"