Total shareholders' equity consists of: Multiple Choice preferred stock and common stock. common stock and retained earnings. common stock and contributed surplus. preferred stock, common stock, contributed surplus, and retained earnings.A corporate buy-back, or the repurchasing of shares, is: Multiple Choice an example of balance sheet restructuring. an excellent source of profits when the firm's stock is over-priced. a method of reducing the debt-to-equity ratio. shown as revenue on the income statement