The Australian government’s decision to allow the US mining giant Alcoa to continue clearing swathes of Western Australian jarrah forest despite past illegal clearing practices was made in part due to a critical minerals deal reached between Australia and the Trump administration last year, a new document shows. The document also reveals Alcoa was unlawfully clearing land for its bauxite mining practices in the area south of Perth for 15 years, despite warnings from the federal environment department. Conse ...

Key Takeaways Alcoa's Alumina segment output rose 1% sequentially to 2.48M metric tons in Q4 2025.AA saw alumina shipments climb 5% sequentially, backed by strong Australian refinery performance.Alcoa projects 2026 alumina output of 9.7-9.9M tonnes and shipments of 11.8-12.0M tonnes.Alcoa Corporation (AA) is benefiting from persistent strength in its Alumina segment, supported by strong performances across its assets and favorable prices. The segment is benefiting from growth in output at the Australian ref ...

Quick Read SPDR S&P Metals and Mining ETF (XME) nearly doubled to $118 from $62 over the past year. Newmont generated $1.6B in free cash flow as gold prices surged to $4,900-$5,000 per ounce. Freeport-McMoRan plans to restart Grasberg mine in Q2 2026 for 300 million pounds of copper. Read: If you follow markets closely, Kalshi lets you profit directly from being right about what comes next. The SPDR S&P Metals & Mining ETF (NYSEARCA:XME) has nearly doubled over the past year, climbing from aroun ...

Core Viewpoint - Alcoa of Australia has reached an agreement with the Australian Federal Government to modernize the approvals framework for its mining activities, enhancing environmental assessments and operational clarity through a Strategic Assessment process [1] Group 1: Strategic Assessment and Environmental Commitments - The Strategic Assessment will evaluate current and future mining areas until 2045, focusing on the impacts on significant flora and fauna [1] - Alcoa will limit land clearing to 800 hectares per year and aims to increase rehabilitation efforts to 1,000 hectares annually by 2027 [1] - The company has committed to investing over A$15 million by 2029 to enhance knowledge of the Northern Jarrah Forest and to implement measures for protecting public drinking water [1] Group 2: Financial Implications and Operational Impact - Alcoa will incur a charge of $19 million related to environmental reserves due to historical clearing, with cash outlays expected in 2026 [1] - In 2024, Alcoa's Australian operations invested A$2.7 billion with over 1,700 local suppliers, retaining more than 70% of revenue generated in Australia within the country [1] - The company provides direct and indirect employment for approximately 5,500 people and supports additional jobs in local communities [1] Group 3: Future Mining Operations - The Strategic Assessment does not affect ongoing environmental assessments for the Myara North and Holyoake mine regions, with mining in these areas anticipated to start no earlier than 2029 [1] - Alcoa expects bauxite quality to remain consistent with recent grades until new mining operations commence [1]

Key TakeawaysAlcoa (AA) has been fined A$55 million by the Australian government for failing to adequately remediate historic land clearing.The NZD/USD pair plummeted toward the 0.6000 psychological level after RBNZ Governor Anna Breman downplayed the likelihood of near-term interest rate hikes.YouTube, owned by Alphabet (GOOGL), resolved a massive technical outage that affected over 300,000 users globally.The Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) maintained its Official Cash Rate at 2.25%, defying hawkish mar ...

Alcoa forced to pay $38 million after illegally clearing Australian native forest | ReutersSkip to main content[Exclusive news, data and analytics for financial market professionalsLearn more aboutRefinitiv]A shift worker at the Alcoa aluminium smelter leaves the plant during a shift change before sunrise at Point Henry in Geelong February 25, 2014. REUTERS/Jason Reed [Purchase Licensing Rights, opens new tab]SYDNEY, Feb 18 (Reuters) - U.S. aluminium company Alcoa [(AA.N), opens new tab] will pay A$55 milli ...

Market Overview - The S&P 500 decreased by 1.4% and the DOW by 1.1%, marking the worst week of 2026, with the tech-heavy NASDAQ down 2.3% due to policy chaos from the administration [1] - The market is experiencing volatility as the administration's tariff policies shift, impacting investor sentiment and market stability [1][11] Tariff Policy Changes - The Trump administration is considering rolling back steel and aluminum tariffs due to inflation concerns, which have moderated to 2.4% in January after a year of price fluctuations caused by these tariffs [2][3] - Shares of United States Steel Corp (X) fell by 3.4% and Alcoa (AA) by 2.8% in pre-market trading as renewed foreign competition becomes a possibility [2] Deregulation Efforts - The administration repealed the EPA's "Endangerment Finding," which was crucial for regulating greenhouse gases, benefiting the traditional energy sector but creating confusion for the auto industry [6][7] - Ford (F) and General Motors (GM) saw modest gains of 0.5% and 0.2% respectively, but the long-term implications of this deregulation remain uncertain as global markets move towards electric vehicles [6][8] Trade Deals and Global Relations - Recent trade announcements include a new framework with India, tariff reductions with Taiwan, and a deal with the U.K., but market reactions have been muted due to skepticism about the effectiveness of these frameworks [9][10] - The iShares MSCI Taiwan ETF saw a small increase of 0.9%, but concerns about a potential visit to China by the President may limit market optimism [10] Conclusion on Market Sentiment - The major indices are down, with the S&P 500 experiencing a 2.1% decline for the week, reflecting market uncertainty regarding the administration's policy changes [11] - Investors are left questioning the logic behind rolling back tariffs to combat inflation that the tariffs themselves helped create, highlighting the unpredictable nature of current market conditions [12]

Core Viewpoint - The potential rollback of tariffs on steel and aluminum is causing significant market reactions, with producers experiencing declines in stock prices due to fears of increased foreign competition and reduced domestic pricing power [1][2][5] Group 1: Market Reactions - Steel and aluminum producers saw stock declines of 5-6% in early trading as investors anticipated renewed competition and softer pricing [1] - Cleveland-Cliffs, focused on U.S. steel, faced sharper declines, while Alcoa, an aluminum producer, also dropped due to concerns over lower pricing [2] Group 2: Impact of Tariff Changes - Tariffs have historically supported U.S. producers by maintaining margins and limiting cheaper imports; a rollback would reduce this support [2] - The removal of tariffs is expected to compress multiples for producers, indicating a direct relationship between protection and market premiums [3] Group 3: Potential Sector Rotation - The decline in metal producers may signal a rotation towards sectors that could benefit from lower input costs, such as automakers, machinery manufacturers, and construction companies [4] - Easing tariffs could improve margins for downstream industries, suggesting a classic cost-relief trade scenario [4] Group 4: Broader Implications - Policy shifts regarding tariffs can rapidly alter the landscape of entire sectors, with recent years seeing tariffs significantly influence the earnings of U.S. steel and aluminum companies [5] - The market is already adjusting to the potential changes, indicating that even hints of tariff reversals can introduce volatility [5]

Group 1 - The stock price of Alcoa Corporation decreased by 3.7% [1] - Century Aluminum's stock price fell by 9% [1]

Core Insights - Alcoa Corporation (AA) shares have increased by 65.4% over the past three months, outperforming the industry growth of 59.9% and the S&P 500's growth of 3.8% [1][8] - The stock closed at $63.15, below its 52-week high of $66.95 but significantly above its 52-week low of $21.53, indicating strong market sentiment and confidence in the company's financial health [3] Business Performance - The Aluminum segment is experiencing strong demand, particularly in electrical and packaging markets, with production increasing by 5% year-over-year to 2,319 kilo metric tons in 2025 [11] - Alcoa's Alumina segment is benefiting from improved productivity, although the closure of the Kwinana refinery has impacted production and shipment volumes [13] - The company expects aluminum production in 2026 to be between 2.4-2.6 million tonnes, with shipments anticipated to be in the range of 2.6-2.8 million tonnes [12] Market Dynamics - Increased demand for aluminum is driven by the rise in electric vehicles, rechargeable batteries, and the recovery in air travel, which has led to higher production needs from aircraft manufacturers [9] - The U.S. administration's decision to increase tariffs on imported aluminum to 50% has positively impacted domestic producers like Alcoa by raising aluminum prices [10] Strategic Initiatives - Alcoa is focused on acquiring new assets to enhance organic growth, exemplified by its acquisition of Alumina Limited in August 2024, which strengthens its position in the bauxite and alumina markets [14] - The company is also collaborating with stakeholders to expand production capacities, which is expected to support top-line performance [20] Financial Outlook - Alcoa's forward 12-month price-to-earnings ratio is 12.72X, in line with the industry average, and lower than peers Olympic Steel and Constellium [15] - Earnings estimates for 2026 have increased by 38.5% to $5.18 per share, while estimates for 2027 have risen by 27.4% to $5.26 per share over the past 60 days, reflecting positive analyst sentiment [19][20]