Investopedia: Still Waiting For Alcoa To Work

As aluminum is an economically sensitive metal, it is probably no great surprise that Alcoa (NYSE:AA) stock has underperformed amidst growing worries that the U.S. will trip over into recession. On the other hand, there are a lot of secular positives for both aluminum and Alcoa, that argue in favor of the thought that this stock should work at some point. The question, then, is whether patience can really pay large enough dividends to make Alcoa worth the time and trouble.

A Fixed Third Quarter   
Alcoa missed the earnings estimate for the quarter and that's certainly disappointing. It also isn't quite as bad as it may seem. Revenue rose about 21% from last year, but declined about 3% from the prior quarter. Performance was fairly consistent across the company's operating segments, but Alcoa did see a slowdown in demand from automakers and heavy truck manufacturers. On the profit side, ATOI (after-tax operating income) rose 41% from last year, but dropped 27% on a sequential basis.

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http://stocks.investopedia.com/stock-analysis/2011/Still-Waiting-For-Alcoa-To-Work-F-AA-RIO-BHP-ACH-BA-GE-AKS-WHR1017.aspx