Hard Budget Constraint

Hard Budget Constraint

A spending limit that cannot be exceeded without drastic consequences. For example, a country cannot exceed its debt ceiling without incurring panic in its bond markets. More commonly, however, this term refers to the requirement that a money manager or investment company at least break even and preferably meet some target profit for clients or shareholders. Companies that fail to meet hard budget constraints may see shake-ups in their management, perhaps with major executives losing their jobs.