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Alcoa's Earnings Surge 24% Year-to-Year, Exceed $1 Billion for the First Time

10 January 2000

Alcoa's Earnings Surge 24% Year-to-Year, Exceed $1 Billion for the First Time

    PITTSBURGH--Jan. 10, 2000--Alcoa announced today that for the first time in its 110-year history, the company had over a billion-dollars in earnings for the year.
    For the year 1999, Alcoa's net income was $1.054 billion, or $2.82 per diluted share, up 24% from $853 million, or $2.42 per share for 1998.
    "Alcoa's excellent performance in 1999 reflects the growing success of Alcoans worldwide in aligning our processes and systems with the Alcoa Business System," said CEO Alain Belda. "Our processes are more efficient, with improved cycle time, less waste, and reduced inventories as we strive to produce what the customer wants, when it's wanted."


                    Fourth Quarter                      Year
               1999    1998     %Change      1999       1998  %Change

Revenues   $4,253.1  $4,198.8      1%     $16,322.8  $15,339.8    6%
Net Income    333.9     218.3      53       1,054.1      853.0    24
Earnings
 per share     $.89      $.59      51         $2.82      $2.42    17
Debt as a % of
    Invested Capital                           28.3%     31.7%   (11)

(dollars in millions, except for share amounts)


    Net income for the 1999 fourth quarter was $333.9 million, or 89 cents per diluted share, up 53% from $218.3 million, or 59 cents per share, for the 1998 fourth quarter.
    Revenues for the 1999 fourth quarter were $4.3 billion, compared with $4.2 billion in the year ago quarter. For the full year 1999, revenues were a record $16.3 billion, compared with $15.3 billion for 1998.
    "We continued to make progress on our $1.1 billion cost-reduction initiative," noted CEO Belda. At the end of 1999, the company had achieved $728 million in annualized cost savings towards its $1.1 billion target. Announced in mid-1998, this aggressive target is to be achieved by January 1, 2001. The quarterly run rate at the end of the 1999 fourth quarter was $182 million, compared with $159 million for the 1999 third quarter.
    Results for the 1999 fourth quarter were affected positively by $31 million, or 8 cents per share, related to LIFO inventory reductions which are tangible results coming from the Alcoa Production System, and a decrease in Alcoa's effective tax rate from 32% to 29.9% for the year as a result of a decrease in the Australian income tax rate. The quarter was affected negatively by an uptick in administrative costs which is substantially attributable to higher acquisition expenses and incentive accruals for exceptional performance.
    Return on shareholders' equity was 17.2% for 1999 and 16.3% for 1998.
    Founded in 1888, Alcoa is the world's leading producer of aluminum and alumina and a major participant in all segments of the industry: mining, refining, smelting, fabricating and recycling. Alcoa serves customers worldwide in the packaging, automotive, aerospace, construction and other markets with a great variety of fabricated and finished products. The company has 250 operating locations in 31 countries.
    Alcoa Inc.
    Financial and operating data for Alcoa and its subsidiaries follow.


                           FINANCIAL REPORT
                        Alcoa and subsidiaries
              (in millions except share and ton amounts)
                              (UNAUDITED)

                                                 Fourth quarter

For the period ended December 31               1999           1998

Sales                                        $4,253.1       $4,198.8
Other income                                     45.9           55.4

                                              4,299.0        4,254.2


Cost of goods sold                            3,147.8        3,262.8
Selling, general administrative
 and other expenses                             254.7          251.2
Research and development expenses                36.6           47.2
Provision for depreciation and depletion        224.4          238.3
Interest expense                                 42.0           57.9

                                              3,705.5        3,857.4

    Income from operations before
     taxes on income                            593.5          396.8
Provision for taxes on income                   151.1          120.9


    Income from operations                      442.4          275.9

Less: Minority interests' share                (108.5)         (57.6)

NET INCOME                                     $333.9         $218.3


Earnings per common share:
    Basic                                       $0.91          $0.59
    Diluted                                     $0.89          $0.59

Average number of shares used to compute:
    Basic earnings per common share       366,913,979    366,838,176
    Diluted earnings per common share     375,375,259    369,341,168

Translation and exchange adjustments included
 in net income                                   $2.8          $(3.8)

Shipments of aluminum products
 (metric tons)                              1,129,000      1,174,000



                           FINANCIAL REPORT
                        Alcoa and subsidiaries
              (in millions except share and ton amounts)
                              (UNAUDITED)

                                                 Twelve months

For the period ended December 31              1999           1998

Sales                                       $16,322.8      $15,339.8
Other income                                    123.6          149.6

                                             16,446.4       15,489.4


Cost of goods sold                           12,535.5       11,933.4
Selling, general administrative and
 other expenses                                 851.2          782.5
Research and development expenses               128.0          128.4
Provision for depreciation and depletion        887.6          842.4
Interest expense                                195.2          197.9

                                             14,597.5       13,884.6

    Income from operations before taxes
     on income                                1,848.9        1,604.8
Provision for taxes on income                   552.8          513.5


    Income from operations                    1,296.1        1,091.3

Less: Minority interests' share                (242.0)        (238.3)

Net Income                                   $1,054.1         $853.0

Earnings per common share:
    Basic                                       $2.87          $2.44
    Diluted                                     $2.82          $2.42

Average number of shares used to compute:
    Basic earnings per common share       366,944,365    349,113,644
    Diluted earnings per common share     373,644,872    351,616,636

Shares outstanding at end of period       367,748,998    366,809,078

Translation and exchange adjustments included
 in net income                                  $(8.3)         $(8.0)
Shipments of aluminum products 
 (metric tons)                              4,478,000      3,951,000



ALCOA 4th QUARTER SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION


Consolidated
   Revenues        4Q98      1Q99     2Q99    3Q99      4Q99      1999
  Alumina and
     chemicals    452.7     420.3    455.8   473.9     492.0   1,842.0
  Primary metals  629.8     533.7    518.6   559.9     634.9   2,247.1
  Flat-rolled
     products   1,291.8   1,269.6  1,257.6 1,273.0   1,312.3   5,112.5
  Engineered
     products     978.8     942.3    939.3   917.1     921.7   3,720.4
  Other           839.4     812.8    861.1   828.4     890.5   3,392.8
Total           4,192.5   3,978.7  4,032.4 4,052.3   4,253.1  16,316.5

Consolidated Shipments (KMT's)
  Alumina and
     chemicals    1,783     1,664    1,836   1,814     1,740     7,054

  Primary metals    441       370      354     335       383     1,442
  Flat-rolled
     products       479       487      496     496       503     1,982
  Engineered
      products      240       258      249     249       233       989
  Other              14        17       18      20        10        65
  Total Aluminum  1,174     1,132    1,117   1,100     1,129     4,478

Average realized
   price - Primary 0.64      0.63     0.64    0.71      0.72     0.673



Alcoa and subsidiaries
Condensed Consolidated Balance Sheet
(in millions)
                                           December 31   December 31
ASSETS                                        1999           1998
                                           -----------   -----------
Current assets:
    Cash and cash equivalents
     (includes cash of $67.4 in
     1999 and $131.1 in 1998)              $     236.9   $     342.2
    Short-term investments                        76.8          39.4
    Receivables from customers,
     less allowances:
     1999-$58.0; 1998-$61.4                    2,199.5       2,163.2
    Other receivables                            164.6         171.0
    Inventories                                1,618.4       1,880.5
    Deferred income taxes                        232.9         198.0
    Prepaid expenses and other
     current assets                              270.9         230.8
                                           -----------   -----------
      Total current assets                     4,800.0       5,025.1
                                           -----------   -----------
Properties, plants and
 equipment, at cost                           18,435.6      18,224.5
Less, accumulated depreciation,
 depletion and Amortization                    9,302.7       9,091.0
                                           -----------   -----------
      Net properties, plants
       and equipment                           9,132.9       9,133.5
                                           -----------   -----------
Goodwill, net of accumulated
 amortization of $220.5 in
 1999 and $179.3 in 1998                       1,328.4       1,414.1
Other assets                                   1,804.5       1,889.8
                                           -----------   -----------
      Total assets                         $  17,065.8   $  17,462.5
                                           -----------   -----------
                                           -----------   -----------
LIABILITIES
Current liabilities:
    Short-term borrowings                  $     342.7   $     431.0
    Accounts payable, trade                    1,218.9       1,044.3
    Accrued compensation and
     retirement costs                            582.5         553.2
    Taxes, including taxes on income             368.2         431.3
    Other current liabilities                    423.6         627.4
    Long-term debt due within one year            67.4         181.1
                                           -----------   -----------
        Total current liabilities              3,003.3       3,268.3
                                           -----------   -----------
Long-term debt, less amount
 due within one year                           2,656.9       2,877.0
Accrued postretirement benefits                1,720.2       1,840.1
Other noncurrent liabilities
 and deferred credits                          1,472.8       1,587.1
Deferred income taxes                            437.0         358.1
                                           -----------   -----------
        Total liabilities                      9,290.2       9,930.6
                                           -----------   -----------
MINORITY INTERESTS                             1,457.9       1,476.0
                                           -----------   -----------
CONTINGENT LIABILITIES                          --            --

SHAREHOLDERS' EQUITY
Preferred stock                                   55.8          55.8
Common stock                                     394.7         394.7
Additional capital                             1,703.7       1,675.9
Retained earnings                              6,061.4       5,305.1
Treasury stock, at cost                       (1,259.6)     (1,028.7)
Accumulated other comprehensive
 loss                                           (638.3)       (346.9)
                                           -----------   -----------
        Total shareholders' equity             6,317.7       6,055.9
                                           -----------   -----------
         Total liabilities and
          shareholders' equity             $  17,065.8   $  17,462.5
                                           -----------   -----------
                                           -----------   -----------