Earnings Preview: Alcoa's EPS, Revenue Expected to Rise - Alcoa (NYSE:AA)

Alcoa AA unveils its next round of earnings this Tuesday, October 11, 2011. Here is Benzinga's everything-that-matters guide for this Tuesday's third quarter earnings announcement.

Earnings and Revenue:

Analysts are looking ahead to a positive EPS of 23 cents/share and revenues of $6.31 billion. Alcoa's latest numbers will no doubt be compared with the company's year-ago quarter, when it reported a profit of 9 cents/share on revenues of $5.29 billion. Can Alcoa manage the estimated 155.6% rise in EPS and 19.3% increase in revenues from the year-ago quarter as analysts are predicting? We'll have to wait until Tuesday to find out.

Here's how the company's reported EPS has stacked up against analyst estimates in the past:

Quarter	Q2	Q1	Q4	Q3
EPS Estimate	$0.34	$0.27	$0.19	$0.06
EPS Actual	$0.32	$0.28	$0.21	$0.09

Stock Performance:

At last check, shares of Alcoa were trading at $9.37. Shares are down 38.8% year to date. For a full 12 months, the return has declined by 12.1%. Given that these returns are generally negative, long-term shareholders are probably a little upset going into this earnings release.

Long-term shareholders are already wary of 12-month losses prior to the announcement

Average Stock Rating:

The average rating by analysts for Alcoa is a Hold. Over the past three months this rating's strength has declined slightly.

Competitors:

Wondering how some of the other materials companies are doing? Here are a few of Alcoa's peers in that sector.

Century Aluminum Company CENX: Moderate Sell with a $0.38 recent quarter EPS
Kaiser Aluminum KALU: Moderate Buy with a $0.63 recent quarter EPS
Alumina Limited (ADR AWC: Moderate Buy

Alcoa is in the mining (non ferr) industry, which has experienced price/earnings growth of 0.3%.

Finally, a description of the company's main areas of operation: Alcoa is a global producer of aluminum. It is mainly engaged in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina combined. It is actively involved in a range of industries, including technology, mining, smelting, and recycling.

Take Action:

Now that you've gotten an advanced peak at Alcoa's upcoming earnings numbers, keep an eye out for any surprises in the report and be ready to take action. Also, check back in with us after the announcement for a full recap and a guide to your next steps.

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