Equity

Retained Earnings

Dow Retained Earnings decreased by 4.7% to $15.99B in Q1 2026 compared to the prior quarter. Year-over-year, this metric declined by 20.4%, from $20.10B to $15.99B. Over 5 years (FY 2020 to FY 2025), Retained Earnings shows relatively stable performance with a 0.5% CAGR. This decline may warrant attention — for this metric, higher values are generally preferred.

Analysis

StatementBalance Sheet Statement
SectionEquity
CategoryProfitability
SignalHigher is better
VolatilityStable
First reportedQ4 2015
Last reportedQ1 2026

How to read this metric

An increase signals strong historical profitability and reinvestment, while a decrease may indicate losses or significant dividend payouts.

Detailed definition

This represents the cumulative net income earned by the company since its inception, minus any dividends paid to shareho...

Peer comparison

A key metric for all established companies; growth rates are compared against peers to gauge long-term success.

Metric ID: retained_earnings

Historical Data

20 periods
 Q2 '21Q3 '21Q4 '21Q1 '22Q2 '22Q3 '22Q4 '22Q1 '23Q2 '23Q3 '23Q4 '23Q1 '24Q2 '24Q3 '24Q4 '24Q1 '25Q2 '25Q3 '25Q4 '25Q1 '26
Value$18.20B$19.36B$20.62B$21.67B$22.83B$23.07B$23.18B$22.58B$22.57B$22.38B$21.77B$21.80B$21.74B$21.46B$20.91B$20.10B$18.77B$18.58B$16.78B$15.99B
QoQ Change+6.4%+6.5%+5.1%+5.3%+1.1%+0.5%-2.6%-0.1%-0.9%-2.7%+0.1%-0.3%-1.3%-2.6%-3.9%-6.6%-1.0%-9.7%-4.7%
YoY Change+25.4%+19.2%+12.4%+4.2%-1.1%-3.0%-6.1%-3.5%-3.7%-4.1%-4.0%-7.8%-13.7%-13.4%-19.7%-20.4%
Range$15.99B$23.18B
CAGR-2.7%
Avg YoY Growth-2.5%
Median YoY Growth-3.8%
Current Streak8 quarters decline

Frequently Asked Questions

What is Dow's retained earnings?
Dow (DOW) reported retained earnings of $15.99B in Q1 2026.
How has Dow's retained earnings changed year-over-year?
Dow's retained earnings decreased by 20.4% year-over-year, from $20.10B to $15.99B.
What is the long-term trend for Dow's retained earnings?
Over 5 years (2020 to 2025), Dow's retained earnings has grown at a 0.5% compound annual growth rate (CAGR), from $16.36B to $16.78B.
What does retained earnings mean?
The total accumulated profits the company has kept and reinvested rather than paying out as dividends.