Dow Today: Alcoa (AA) Higher

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (^DJI) is trading down 12 points at 12,866 as of Wednesday, Feb 8, 2012, 1:40 p.m. ET. During this time, 547 million shares of the 30 Dow components have changed hands vs. an average daily trading volume of 818.6 million. The NYSE advances/declines ratio sits at 1,454 issues advancing vs. 1,494 declining with 123 unchanged.

The Dow component leading the way higher looks to be Alcoa (NYSE:AA), which is sporting a one-cent gain to $10.68. Volume for Alcoa currently sits at 18.8 million shares traded vs. an average daily trading volume of 30.2 million shares.

Alcoa has a market cap of $10.93 billion and is part of the basic materials sector and metals & mining industry. Shares are up 23.4% year to date as of Tuesday's close. The stock's dividend yield sits at 1.1%.

Alcoa, Inc. engages in the production and management of aluminum, fabricated aluminum, and alumina. The company operates in four segments: Alumina, Primary Metals, Flat-Rolled Products, and Engineered Products and Solutions. The company has a P/E ratio of 14.9, below the average metals & mining industry P/E ratio of 18.7 and below the S&P 500 P/E ratio of 17.7.

TheStreet Ratings rates Alcoa as a hold. The company's strengths can be seen in multiple areas, such as its revenue growth and notable return on equity. However, as a counter to these strengths, we also find weaknesses including a generally disappointing performance in the stock itself, unimpressive growth in net income and poor profit margins.

• You can view the full Alcoa Ratings Report.

For more information on Alcoa Inc click any of the following:

• Alcoa Inc Stock Price

• Alcoa Inc Analyst Ratings

• Alcoa Inc Key Stats & Profile

• Alcoa Inc Earnings

• Alcoa Inc Ratio Comparison

• Alcoa Inc Growth Rates

• Alcoa Inc Balance Sheet

• Alcoa Inc Cash Flow

• Alcoa Inc Income Statement