NEW YORK: Investors in Alcoa Inc areexpecting a rough quarterly earnings report on Tuesday from the aluminum maker,whose profits are expected to sink nearly 20 percent as escalating energy andother costs take their toll. Aluminum prices should prove to be abright spot, although the market will be closely eyeing Alcoa’s margins to seehow much of the increased costs for energy and materials, such as caustic soda,the company has managed to pass along to its customers. Want a Loan? Get cash against your Mutual Funds in 4 hours “I thinkthat this quarter’s going to be pretty mundane. The trends that were in place inthe first quarter are going to still be there,” said Charlie Smith, chiefinvestment officer at Fort Pitt Capital Group, which owns about $10 million ofAlcoa shares. Analysts are expecting Alcoa’s income from continuingoperations to slide to 66 cents per share from 81 cents a year earlier,according to Reuters Estimates. That forecast is also about ...

The stock, which touched the upper circuit on Monday, has doubled since February. On Monday, the scrip closed at Rs 53.9. Mumbai: At least five investors have taken large bets on shares of Punjab Alkalies and Chemicals (PACL) in the run-up to the dramatic turnaround of the company where the Punjab government owns 33.5 per cent of the equity. Sukhbir Singh Dahiya and Jagbir Singh Ahlawat, who have business dealings with PACL, have together accumulated 6.6 per cent of the stock. Their family members — Prerna Ahlawat and Dayawati Dahiya — have purchased 2.25 per cent and 2.17 per cent, respectively. Himalaya Alkalies and Chemicals, where Sukhbir Singh Dahiya is a director, has picked up 1.56 per cent, while Nipun Khosla, another investor, has bought 1.97 per cent. All these transactions happened between January and March 2018. PACL, which has been losing money for more than four years and has been unsuccessful in pushing through a pestment plan, reported a net profit of Rs 10 crore (afte...