* In 18%-deep consolidation with 66.95 buy point, 66.26 early entry
* Rebounded this week from 10-week line
* Relative strength line near highs

A sideways pattern that doesn’t fit traditional base definitions. Sometimes will have a handle.
Not real-time data. All data shown was captured at
2:24PM EST on
02/27/2026.
Alcoa (AA) is Friday’s IBD Stock Of The Day as the top global aluminum producer capitalizes on high prices fueled partly by Trump tariffs. AA stock, though lower on Friday, climbed on the week as it outperforms the S&P 500.
High aluminum prices have enabled Alcoa to generate cash and pay down debt. Asset sales are expected to provide a further boost to its balance sheet. A share buyback or special dividend is likely, CEO William Oplinger confirmed at the Feb. 26 BMO Global Metals & Critical Minerals Conference.
↑
X
This video file cannot be played.(Error Code: 102630)
Beyond The Breakout: How To Play Broadcom, Viking And Embraer After Earnings
See All Videos
NOW PLAYING
Beyond The Breakout: How To Play Broadcom, Viking And Embraer After Earnings
Aluminum Prices
The U.S. aluminum futures price dipped 0.1% to $3,144 a ton on Friday, but it’s up from around $2,500 when President Donald Trump announced a doubling of tariffs on aluminum and steel to 50% early last June.
Alcoa’s Oplinger said last October that the aluminum price in the U.S., then around $2,800, had finally climbed to a level that covered the full tariff cost for imports from Canada. Alcoa operates three aluminum smelters in Canada and two in the U.S.
Oplinger told the BMO conference that demand is strong in North America, especially the packaging and electrical conductor market. There’s room for improvement in construction if interest rates fall, while the automotive market is soft. Europe is a bit weaker than North American, but the overall market looks to be “in balance, if not a slight deficit for 2026 again, and global inventories are pretty low.”
For refined alumina, the oxide which is smelted into aluminum, he said that there’s a global surplus and prices are low. Alcoa’s focus is to drive costs lower. However, Oplinger says production curtailments from other companies are likely at some point because half the industry is bleeding cash.
Alcoa Priorities
One forthcoming area for news should be asset sales. Alcoa has a target of delivering between $500 million and $1 billion of proceeds from asset sales, he said. The first sale should come by the end of Q2 and two more quickly after. He noted that Alcoa is focused on selling those three properties and seven others for use as data centers.
Alcoa plans to keep paying down debt, but its strong balance sheet provides other options. The next two priorities are “growth and returns.” Alcoa is weighing a share buyback or a special dividend. “We’ll run the sums, make a recommendation to the board and go from there.”
AA Stock
Alcoa stock fell 2.5% to 61.86 on Friday afternoon but was still up more than 2% on the week, while rising from support at its 50-day moving average.
Wednesday’s 5.7% rally on high volume saw the high point of the week. A move past Wednesday’s 66.22 high could offer an early entry opportunity. The official buy point, after a seven-week consolidation, is 66.95, according to MarketSurge pattern recognition.
A weekly MarketSurge chart shows Alcoa’s relative strength line, the blue line in IBD charts that tracks a stock’s progress vs. the S&P 500, hitting a new high. That’s an encouraging sign when it comes before a breakout.
Be sure to read IBD’s The Big Picture column after each trading day to get the latest on the prevailing stock market trend and what it means for your trading decisions.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Catch The Next Big Winning Stock With MarketSurge
Want To Get Quick Profits And Avoid Big Losses? Try SwingTrader
This page may contain third-party content, which is provided for information purposes only (not representations/warranties) and should not be considered as an endorsement of its views by Gate, nor as financial or professional advice. See Disclaimer for details.
Trump Tariff Winner Alcoa, Stock Of The Day, Near Buy Point
$ 61.79
IBD Stock Analysis
IBD Composite Rating
80/99
Industry Group Ranking
5/197
Emerging Pattern
Consolidation
Alcoa (AA) is Friday’s IBD Stock Of The Day as the top global aluminum producer capitalizes on high prices fueled partly by Trump tariffs. AA stock, though lower on Friday, climbed on the week as it outperforms the S&P 500.
High aluminum prices have enabled Alcoa to generate cash and pay down debt. Asset sales are expected to provide a further boost to its balance sheet. A share buyback or special dividend is likely, CEO William Oplinger confirmed at the Feb. 26 BMO Global Metals & Critical Minerals Conference.
This video file cannot be played.(Error Code: 102630)
Aluminum Prices
The U.S. aluminum futures price dipped 0.1% to $3,144 a ton on Friday, but it’s up from around $2,500 when President Donald Trump announced a doubling of tariffs on aluminum and steel to 50% early last June.
Alcoa’s Oplinger said last October that the aluminum price in the U.S., then around $2,800, had finally climbed to a level that covered the full tariff cost for imports from Canada. Alcoa operates three aluminum smelters in Canada and two in the U.S.
Oplinger told the BMO conference that demand is strong in North America, especially the packaging and electrical conductor market. There’s room for improvement in construction if interest rates fall, while the automotive market is soft. Europe is a bit weaker than North American, but the overall market looks to be “in balance, if not a slight deficit for 2026 again, and global inventories are pretty low.”
For refined alumina, the oxide which is smelted into aluminum, he said that there’s a global surplus and prices are low. Alcoa’s focus is to drive costs lower. However, Oplinger says production curtailments from other companies are likely at some point because half the industry is bleeding cash.
Alcoa Priorities
One forthcoming area for news should be asset sales. Alcoa has a target of delivering between $500 million and $1 billion of proceeds from asset sales, he said. The first sale should come by the end of Q2 and two more quickly after. He noted that Alcoa is focused on selling those three properties and seven others for use as data centers.
Alcoa plans to keep paying down debt, but its strong balance sheet provides other options. The next two priorities are “growth and returns.” Alcoa is weighing a share buyback or a special dividend. “We’ll run the sums, make a recommendation to the board and go from there.”
AA Stock
Alcoa stock fell 2.5% to 61.86 on Friday afternoon but was still up more than 2% on the week, while rising from support at its 50-day moving average.
Wednesday’s 5.7% rally on high volume saw the high point of the week. A move past Wednesday’s 66.22 high could offer an early entry opportunity. The official buy point, after a seven-week consolidation, is 66.95, according to MarketSurge pattern recognition.
A weekly MarketSurge chart shows Alcoa’s relative strength line, the blue line in IBD charts that tracks a stock’s progress vs. the S&P 500, hitting a new high. That’s an encouraging sign when it comes before a breakout.
Be sure to read IBD’s The Big Picture column after each trading day to get the latest on the prevailing stock market trend and what it means for your trading decisions.
YOU MAY ALSO LIKE:
Catch The Next Big Winning Stock With MarketSurge
Want To Get Quick Profits And Avoid Big Losses? Try SwingTrader
IBD Digital: Unlock IBD’s Premium Stock Lists, Tools And Analysis Today
Time The Market With IBD’s ETF Market Strategy