Commodities that will rule the green, digital transition

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Alcoa (NYSE: AA) today reported increased third quarter revenue and earnings compared to the year-ago quarter, but lower results sequentially, primarily due to lower metal prices, seasonal factors and weakness in Europe. Income from continuing operations was $172 million, or $0.15 per share, in third quarter 2011, compared to $61 million, or $0.06 per share, in third quarter 2010 and $326 million, or $0.28 per share, in second quarter 2011. “Aluminum prices fell in the third quarter, but most markets continued to grow,” said Alcoa Chairman and CEO Klaus Kleinfeld.

China will eventually become a net importer of aluminum but the timing of this shift is uncertain, the chief executive of Rio Tinto Alcan said Thursday.

UC Rusal, the world's largest aluminum producer, said on Monday that it had net profit of US$1.085 million for the first half of 2011, a decrease of 20.5% compared to net profit of US$1.365 million for the first half of 2010, due to certain non-cash items, mainly increase in the effective interest charges on restructured debt and decrease in net share in results of Norilsk Nickel. Revenue increased by 18.8% to US$6.323 million in the first half of 2011, as compared to US$5.321 million for the first half of 2010, mainly due to increased prices and improved product mix.

Two partners in the world's top aluminium producer, UC RUSAL , want to sell their stake to a third tycoon, Alisher Usmanov, owner of an iron ore miner and shareholder in Norilsk Nickel, Vedomosti reported on Friday.

Chinese state-owned energy giant China Power Investment Corporation plans to invest six billion dollars to develop bauxite production in Guinea, the world's largest exporter of the main source of aluminium, a senior executive said here Saturday.

Finnish mineral processing company Outotec more than doubled its profits for the first half of 2011.

Noranda Aluminum Holding Corporation (NYSE: NOR) today reported results for second quarter and first six months of 2011. “Our upstream integration and continuing focus on growth and productivity enabled us to convert higher second quarter aluminum prices and solid customer demand into sequential and year-over-year improvements in revenue, profitability, and liquidity,” said Layle K. (Kip) Smith, Noranda’s President and Chief Executive Officer.

David Knox, Santos chief executive, says the expected skills shortage has not yet affected his company. Picture: Calum Robertson Source: News Limited SANTOS chief executive David Knox, whose company is building one of the three $15 billion-plus coal-seam

An electronics recycling company in Badin, Washington was talking Saturday to applicants for jobs at a facility that could employ as many as 200 people. A building that once was part of Alcoa's aluminum smelting operation is being upgraded to house an outpost of Electronic Recyclers International, said company president John Shegerian. "We use manual labor to take the screens out of the machines, and then start segregating the material," Shegerian said. "Then the carcasses all go into the shredding machine." He said the materials are then sold to manufacturers, which use the plastic, aluminum and copper to make new products. The only thing left to dispose of is a little dust. It's a process Shegerian calls "urban mining."