Alcoa Named ''Most Admired'' Metals Company by FORTUNE Magazine; Ranks in Top Ten of All Companies in Four Categories; Named to FORTUNE ''Hall of Fame''

PITTSBURGH--Feb. 2, 20052, 2005--Alcoa has been named one of FORTUNE magazine's "Most Admired Companies in America" in the leading business publication's annual ranking, which will be on newsstands next week.

FORTUNE named Alcoa the "Most Admired Metals Company." In the metals industry, Alcoa ranked first in eight key attributes: innovation, use of assets, employee talent, management investment value, social responsibility, financial soundness, and products/services.

Alcoa also made the Top Ten list among all companies in all industries in quality of products/services (#3); innovation (#5); social responsibility (#5); and financial soundness (#10).

In addition, Alcoa was one of 10 companies named to the magazine's Hall of Fame list, receiving the Cal Ripken Jr. Ironman Award for having spent 22 years atop its peer group as America's most admired company.

For its survey of 582 companies in 65 industries, FORTUNE asked nearly 10,000 executives, directors and securities analysts to rate companies in their own industries on eight criteria. To find the overall Top Ten, voters named the companies they most admire in any business from a pool that included last year's top quartile of finishers plus the top two on each industry's list.

Alcoa is the world's leading producer and manager of primary aluminum, fabricated aluminum and alumina facilities, and is active in all major aspects of the industry. Alcoa serves the aerospace, automotive, packaging, building and construction, commercial transportation and industrial markets, bringing design, engineering, production and other capabilities of Alcoa's businesses to customers. In addition to aluminum products and components, Alcoa also markets consumer brands including Reynolds Wrap(R) foils and plastic wraps, Alcoa(R) wheels, and Baco(R) household wraps. Among its other businesses are vinyl siding, closures, fastening systems, precision castings, and electrical distribution systems for cars and trucks. The company has 131,000 employees in 43 countries and has been a member of the Dow Jones Industrial Average for 45 years and the Dow Jones Sustainability Indexes since 2001. More information can be found at www.alcoa.com