African Copper (LSE:ACU) Retained Earnings: £-168.96 Mil (As of Sep. 2014)

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What is African Copper Retained Earnings?

African Copper LSE:ACU +10.00% Retained Earnings is £-168.96 Mil as of Sep. 2014. The stock has 4 warning signs investors should review.

Retained earnings is the accumulated portion of net income that is not distributed to shareholders. African Copper's retained earnings for the quarter that ended in Sep. 2014 was £-168.96 Mil.

African Copper's quarterly retained earnings increased from Sep. 2013 (£-164.53 Mil) to Mar. 2014 (£-160.36 Mil) but then declined from Mar. 2014 (£-160.36 Mil) to Sep. 2014 (£-168.96 Mil).

African Copper's annual retained earnings declined from Mar. 2012 (£-136.76 Mil) to Mar. 2013 (£-153.86 Mil) and declined from Mar. 2013 (£-153.86 Mil) to Mar. 2014 (£-160.36 Mil).

African Copper  (LSE:ACU) Retained Earnings Explanation

Historically profitable companies sometimes have negative retained earnings. This is because they have cumulatively paid out more to shareholders than they reported in profits.

For example, in 2011, Microsoft had negative retained earnings. This does not mean the company lost more money than it made over the years. It just means it paid out more money than it earned.

If a company has negative retained earnings, investors should check the 10-year financial results. They should not assume that negative retained earnings prove a company has generally lost money in the past.

Of course, many companies with negative retained earnings have indeed lost money in the past.

Retained Earnings: Warren Buffett's Secret.

One of the most important indicators of durable competitive advantage. Net earnings can be paid out as dividends, used to buy back shares or retained for growth.

If the company loses more than it has accumulated, retained earnings is negative.

If a company isn't adding to its retained earnings, it isn't growing its net worth.

Rate of growth of retained earnings is good indicator whether it's benefiting from a competitive advantage.

Microsoft is negative because it chose to buyback stock and pay dividends.

The more earnings retained, the faster it grows and increases growth rate for future earnings.

African Copper Retained Earnings Historical Data

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The historical data trend for African Copper's Retained Earnings can be seen below:

* For Operating Data section: All numbers are indicated by the unit behind each term and all currency related amount are in USD.
* For other sections: All numbers are in millions except for per share data, ratio, and percentage. All currency related amount are indicated in the company's associated stock exchange currency.

African Copper Retained Earnings Chart

African Copper Annual Data
Trend Dec04 Dec05 Dec06 Dec07 Dec08 Dec09 Mar11 Mar12 Mar13 Mar14
Retained Earnings
Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -83.95 -107.92 -136.76 -153.86 -160.36

African Copper Semi-Annual Data
Jun05 Dec05 Jun06 Dec06 Jun07 Dec07 Jun08 Dec08 Jun09 Dec09 Sep10 Mar11 Sep11 Mar12 Sep12 Mar13 Sep13 Mar14 Sep14
Retained Earnings Get a 7-Day Free Trial Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only Premium Member Only -139.70 -153.86 -164.53 -160.36 -168.96

African Copper Retained Earnings Calculation

Retained Earnings is the accumulated portion of net income that is not distributed to shareholders. Because the net income was not distributed to shareholders, shareholders' equity is increased by the same amount.

Of course, if a company loses, it is called retained losses, or accumulated losses.

Frequently Asked Questions Learn more about Retained Earnings →
What does a Retained Earnings of £-168.96 Mil mean?
African Copper (LSE:ACU) has a Retained Earnings of £-168.96 Mil as of Sep. 2014. Retained earnings is the amount of net income not issued to shareholders. View historical data on African Copper and its competitors.
Is African Copper's Retained Earnings too high?
African Copper's current Retained Earnings is £-168.96 Mil.
How does African Copper's Retained Earnings compare to competitors?
African Copper's Retained Earnings of £-168.96 Mil can be compared against companies in the Metals & Mining industry. See the competitive comparison table and distribution chart on this page for a detailed peer-by-peer breakdown.
What is a good Retained Earnings for a Metals & Mining company?
A good Retained Earnings depends on the Metals & Mining industry context. However, Retained Earnings should not be evaluated in isolation — investors should consider it alongside profitability, growth, and financial strength metrics. Use the industry distribution chart on this page to see where any company falls relative to its peers.
What does a high Retained Earnings mean?
A high Retained Earnings can signal that a stock is expensive relative to its fundamentals. Retained earnings is the amount of net income not issued to shareholders. View historical data on African Copper and its competitors. African Copper's current Retained Earnings is £-168.96 Mil. However, context matters — high-growth companies often justify higher valuations. Always evaluate alongside other metrics like GF Score™ and GF Value™.
Is African Copper stock overvalued right now?
African Copper (LSE:ACU) has a current Retained Earnings of £-168.96 Mil. The current Retained Earnings is £-168.96 Mil. Investors should evaluate multiple metrics — including profitability, growth, and financial strength — before making a decision.
How is Retained Earnings calculated?
Retained Earnings is calculated from a company's financial statements. For African Copper (LSE:ACU), the current Retained Earnings is £-168.96 Mil as of Sep. 2014. GuruFocus calculates this using data sourced from SEC filings and annual reports. See the calculation section and 30-year financial data on this page for the full breakdown.

African Copper Business Description

African Copper PLC was incorporated on February 11, 2004 in England and Wales. The Company is engaged in the exploration for, development and mining of, copper deposits in the Republic of Botswana. Its main activity is that of a holding company. Its main project is the copper producing open pit Mowana mine. The Company's wholly-owned subsidiary Messina holds the Dukwe Project comprising exploration licence PL 33/2005, with an area of 139.6 km2. The Dukwe Project with its associated licences encompasses the Mowana Mine and all current estimated mineral resources and reserves associated with the mine; together with north and south extensions of mineralization that lie outside of the Mowana Mine licence area. It also owns the rights to the adjacent Thakadu-Makala deposits and holds permits in exploration properties at the Matsitama Project which is contiguous to the southern boundary of the Mowana Mine.