retained earnings

surplus of income compared to expenses, total of accumulated profits, surplus money

In accounting, retained earnings refers to the portion of net income which is retained by the corporation rather than distributed to its owners. Similarly, if the corporation makes a loss, then that loss is retained. Retained earnings are cumulative from year to year.Retained earnings are reported in the Shareholders' equity section of the balance sheet. A complete report of the retained earnings or retained losses is presented in the Statement of retained earnings or Statement of retained losses.When assets are greater than liabilities, you have a positive equity (positive book value). When liabilities are greater than assets, you have a negative stockholders' equity—also sometimes called stockholders' deficit. Stockholders' deficit does not mean that stockholders owe money—they may safely go away from such a company. It just means that the value of the assets of the company will have to rise above its liabilities before the stockholders will reap any value (above zero) from owning the company's stock.
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Accounting earnings that are retained by the firm for reinvestment  in its operations; earnings that are not paid out as dividends.

Net income or loss from all operations of the corporate entity less dividends and net unrealized loss on noncurrent marketable equity securities. (BTS4)

The portion of after-tax net income of a corporation not paid out to shareholders in the form of dividends, but which instead is retained for use in the business.