How Do Dividends Affect Retained Earnings
The Retained Earnings account can be negative due to large, cumulative net losses. Retained earnings are the portion of a company’s cumulative profit that is held or retained and saved for future use. Retained earnings could be used to fund an expansion or pay dividends at a later date. Retained earnings are related to net (as opposed to gross) income because they reflect the net income the company has saved over time. Traders who look for short-term gains may...