P$3-5$ Calculation of EPS and retained earnings Everdeen Mining, Inc., ended $2015$ with a net profit before taxes of $$436,000.$ The company is subject to a $40\%$ tax rate and must pay $$64,000$ in preferred stock dividends before distributing any earnings on the $170,000$ shares of common stock currently outstanding.

a$.$ Calculate Everdeen's $2015$ earnings pershare $($EPS$).$

b$.$ If the firm paid common stock dividends of $$0\mathrm{.}80$ per share, how many dollars would go to retained earnings?