Foregone Earnings

For example, if fund XYZ has a 5% sales charge (front-end load) and you invest $10,000, then your net investment would be $9,500. In other words, $500 was not invested.

If the fund earned 10% return, and you held the shares for 1 year, then you did not receive $50 (.10 x 500) in earnings. The $50 is the money you did not earn because your $500 was not invested.

http://www.sec.gov/investor/tools/mfcc/foregone-earnings-help.htm