Generally, no. Retained earnings represent one of the "owners" of the assets. It is the accumulation of profits that have not been distributed as dividends over the life of a company. These generally can't be spent again because they have already been spent on plant and equipment, automation, new product lines, acquisitions, etc. In the case where we retire stock, a portion of our retained earnings may be used. This portion depends on what percent of our total equity is comprised by our retained earnings.