When a company's assets are greater than its liabilities, the difference is called retained earnings or owners equity or shareholder equity. When a company's liabilities are greater than its assets, the difference is termed retained losses. When retained earnings are increasing notably, that's an indication of good financial health. When debts or accounts receivable or inventories go up noticeably, that raises questions that could indicate problems with the company's financial well-being. A good reporter should raise questions about such balance sheet gyrations, and a good copy editor should be sure those questions are answered clearly in the story.
S ometimes it is important to understand the rudiments of ownership when editing a story.
When one person owns all of a business, it is a proprietorship. When a small group of people own a firm, it is a partnership. When a company is owned by many people, it is said to be a stock-owned company. Some stock-owned companies are privately owned. Many stock-owned companies are publicly owned.