retained earnings

Profits generated by a firm that are not distributed to stockholders (shareholders) as dividends but are either reinvested in the business or kept as a reserve for specific objectives (such as to pay off a debt or purchase a capital asset). Balance sheet figure shown under the heading retained earnings is the sum of all profits retained since the firm's inception. Retained earnings are reduced by losses, and are also called accumulated earnings, accumulated profit, accumulated income, accumulated surplus, earned surplus, Undistributed Earning, or undivided profits. See also retention ratio.

It has become fashionable at public companies to describe almost every compensation plan as aligning the interests of management with those of shareholders. In our book, alignment means being a partner in both directions, not just on the upside. Many "alignment" plans flunk this basic test, being artful forms of "heads I win, tails you lose." A common form of misalignment occurs in the typical stock option arrangement, which does not periodically increase the option price to compensate for the fact that retained earnings are building up the wealth of the company. Indeed, the combination of a ten-year option, a low dividend payout, and compound interest can provide lush gains to a manager who has done no more than tread water in his job. A cynic might even note that when payments to owners are held down, the profit to the option-holding manager increases. I have yet to see this vital point spelled out in a proxy statement asking shareholders to approve an option plan.

• How to Structure Options
• Quadrupling Earnings
• Noble Intentions and Results