Dividend decisions are major financial decisions influenced by a company's earning capacity. Higher earnings generally enable higher dividends, while low or negative earnings restrict them.
Assertion (A) is true because earnings directly affect the company's ability to pay dividends. Reason (R) is also true because dividends are legally and practically distributed from profits — whether retained from the past or newly earned.
Also, Reason (R) logically explains Assertion (A): the amount of dividend that a firm can distribute is limited to the amount of profit it has earned (either current or accumulated). Hence, earnings are not just a determinant, they are a prerequisite.
Final Answer: (A) Both Assertion (A) and Reason (R) are true and Reason (R) is correct explanation of Assertion (A).