What are negative retained earnings?

When a company records a profit, the amount of the profit, less any dividends paid to stockholders, is recorded in retained earnings, which is an equity account. When a company records a loss, this too is recorded in retained earnings. If the amount of the loss exceeds the amount of profit previously recorded in the retained earnings account as beginning retained earnings, then a company is said to have negative retained earnings.

Negative retained earnings can arise for a profitable company if it distributes dividends that are, in aggregate, greater than the total amount of its earnings since the foundation of the company.

Negative retained earnings appear as a debit balance in the retained earnings account, rather than the credit balance that normally appears for a profitable corporation. On the company's balance sheet, negative retained earnings are usually described in a separate line item as an "Accumulated Deficit."

Negative retained earnings can be an indicator of bankruptcy, since it implies a long-term series of losses.

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