underdekning

08:48 Jun 22, 2009 

What they actually have done in this case is to point out, or reinforce if you like, that the assets are negative. That they are in no position to pay dividends. And they have done this by using a term.

08:39 Jun 22, 2009 

What puzzles me is this same post has in previous years been called "Fri egenkapital" (and showed negative figures), then suddenly they've called it something else, which made me suspicious. I would prefer to stick to standard terminology in financial statements, so I've taken this up with the client.

07:40 Jun 22, 2009 

The source of the quote must be AE = US or Can. Eng. referring, as it does, to '... a corporation's (BE: company's) ....stockholders (BE: shareholders OR stock-unit holders).'

The equation at the top suggests this is not about retained earnings, but negative goodwill or negative equity.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Retained_earnings

04:41 Jun 22, 2009 

Fri egenkapital for eventuelt utbytte:

Annen egenkapital
Balanseført goodwill
Utsatt skattefordel
_______________________
Underdekning

I think Tom Thumb's previous answer may be right, after all (wasn't sure if it was right in this context, as I haven't been able to get a decent definition of what "underdekning" actually means).
"What is retained earnings?
Generally, retained earnings is a corporation’s cumulative earnings since the corporation was formed minus the dividends it has declared since it began. In other words, retained earnings represents the corporation’s cumulative earnings that have not been distributed to its stockholders.

The amount of retained earnings as of a balance sheet’s date is reported as a separate line item in the stockholders’ equity section of the balance sheet.

A negative amount of retained earnings is reported as deficit or accumulated deficit."