Space Shuttle. 1  Length Orbiter: 56 meters (184 feet) 2  Width Orbiter: 23 meters (76.6 feet) 3  Takeoff weight: 2,041 metric tons (4.5 million pounds) 4  Fuel weight: 1,937 metric tons (4.3 million pounds), including solid rocket boosters and external fuel tank. 5  Maiden Flight: April 12, 1981.
The Retained Earnings account is a stockholders' equity account that normally has a credit balance. The Retained Earnings account has three componentsârevenues, expenses, and dividends. Revenues increase the balance of retained earnings. Expenses and dividends decrease the balance of retained earnings.
The retained earnings account contains the accumulated net income of the business. When a dividend is issued to shareholders of common stock, a debit to retained earnings occurs to finance the payment.Since dividends are typically issued when profits are high, retained earnings and stockholders' equity may still increase during the reporting period due to net income offsetting the dividend payment.Related Reading: The Advantages of Issuing Common Stock vs. Long Term Debt.ommon Stock Issue. Issuing common stock generates cash for a business, and this inflow is recorded as a debit in the cash account and a credit in the common stock account. The proceeds from the stock sale become part of the total shareholders' equity for the corporation but do not affect retained earnings.