There are no safe havens in the stock market. Every stock carries risk. But some less than others. This column features stocks that have shown one or more of the following characteristics: less volatility, better earnings, larger market caps, safe and increasing dividends. In these times of turmoil, our goal is to show readers better opportunities for investing with fewer risks.

March 10, 2011 - Alcoa, Inc. (AA-NYSE) engages in the production and management of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina. The company operates in four segments: Alumina, Primary Metals, Flat-Rolled Products, and Engineered Products and Solutions.

Its products are used in aircraft, automobiles, commercial transportation, packaging, building and construction, oil and gas, defense, consumer electronics, and industrial applications.

The company holds interests in bauxite mining activities. Alcoa has operations primarily in the United States, Australia, Spain, Brazil, the Netherlands, Norway, France, the Russian Federation, Hungary, Italy, the United Kingdom, China, and Germany. Alcoa, Inc. was founded in 1888 and is based in New York, New York.

Latest News:
- Alcoa Inc. and Ma'aden announced the commencement of work of product mix for their new aluminium complex, which is currently under construction at Ras Al Khair in Saudi Arabia. The new line will offer automotive heat-treated and non-heat-treated sheet, building and construction sheet, and foil stock sheet.

The new product mix will enable the two companies to produce about 100,000 metric tons of a wide range of downstream products favorable for the company's complex product line. The project includes the best quality standards and ensures cost advantages, thus making Saudi Arabia one of the primary aluminum producers.

- Three potential investors want to assess data for an aluminium smelter in Italy which the U.S. group Alcoa has decided to close, paving the way to a sale of the plant, a senior Alcoa official said on Thursday.

Alcoa said in January it would close its Portovesme smelter on the island of Sardinia, and slash output at two Spanish smelters, as it cuts global output and costs.

Expectations:
First quarter: Negative 4 cents compared to 28 cents last year in the first.
Second quarter: 13 cents vs 32 cents in last year's second.
Full year 2012: 53 cents compared to 72 cents in 2011.
Full year 2013: 96 cents.

Important Numbers:
- Forward P/E 10.18
- Price to sales ratio: .41
- Price to book: .74
- Operating profit: 7.16%
- Profit margin: 2.45%
- Return on equity: 4.71%
- Return on assets: 2.81%
- Revenues for last year: $24.95 billion
- Total cash: $1.94 billion
- Total cash per share: $1.82
- Total debt: $9.37 billion
- Total debt to equity: 54.5%
- Current ratio: 1.28
- Book value per share: $12.96
- Beta: 2.06
- 52 week change: - 39.56%
- Share outstanding: 1.07 billion
- Held by institutions: 63.4%
- Dividend: 12 cents
- Yield: 1.3%

Company Web site: www.alcoa.com

- Ted Allrich