The study examined the determinants of retained earnings of deposit money banks in Nigeria. Retained earnings were the dependent variable, while total assets and total deposits were the independent variables of the study. The study adopted an ex-post-facto research design, covering the period between 2010 and 2019. Secondary data were extracted from the annual reports and accounts of sampled deposit money banks in Nigeria. Spearman Covariance analysis was used for the test of hypotheses. From the data analysis, total assets and total deposits have a strong and positive relationship with retained earnings. This implies that total assets and total deposits can be used to predict the retained earnings of deposit money banks in Nigeria. The study, therefore, recommends that deposit money banks in Nigeria should strive to increase their asset base by investing in land and buildings and also ensure that every asset at their disposal is effectively and efficiently managed to yield more profit and subsequently increase their retained earnings for further investments and/or recapitalization. They should engage in promotions and other programmes that will encourage customers to keep their cash with them. This will provide them with additional funds to provide loans and make other investments to increase their revenue and retained earnings.
Keywords: Deposit Money Banks, Nigeria, Total Assets, retained earnings, total deposits
