Page "Retained earnings" Paragraph 2

When total assets are greater than total liabilities, stockholders have a positive equity ( positive book value ).

Conversely, when total liabilities are greater than total assets, stockholders have a negative stockholders ' equity ( negative book value ) — also sometimes called stockholders ' deficit.

A stockholders ' deficit does not mean that stockholders owe money to the corporation as they own only its net assets and are not accountable for its liabilities, though it is one of the definitions of insolvency.

It means that the value of the assets of the company must rise above its liabilities before the stockholders hold positive equity value in the company.