alcoa

Stocks fell sharply Tuesday after a surprise rate hike from China's central bank and mixed quarterly earnings reports led to heavy selling in technology, materials and energy stocks.

The aluminum giant matched Wall Street's profit expectations and exceeded the revenue estimates. Company execs say they see demand picking up as the year progresses. Alcoa shares jumped in after-hours trading.

Alcoa, Marriott and Yum! Brands to kick off the third-quarter earnings season with modest earnings growth, while jobs numbers could be mixed.

Since the recession began, more than 8 million Americans have lost their jobs. But perhaps even more surprising is the small number of companies that are responsible for laying off such a large percentage of today's unemployed workers.

Stocks vaulted higher Tuesday as industrial bellwethers Alcoa and CSX reassured the market about the pace of the economic recovery. All three major averages extended their winning streaks.

Alcoa reports its second-quarter results after the market closes Monday. But of much greater importance than what it -- and the slew of companies to follow -- earned in the period is what it says about future growth prospects. [With video]

Second-quarter earnings reports start coming in this week when Alcoa releases its latest results on Monday. This week's other anticipated quarterly reports include those from industry bellwethers Intel, Google and JPMorgan Chase.

The aluminum giant kicks off first-quarter earnings season on Monday, and analysts predict EPS of 10 cents. But weak aluminum prices ahead could pose problems.

Analysts suggest a minor market correction may be underway as continued negative reaction to President Obama's bank plan and other news reports caused the Dow to suffer a third straight triple-digit setback. The downward trend is expected to continue into next week.

Aluminum giant Alcoa on Monday posted a narrower fourth-quarter net loss, helped by costs cuts and higher aluminum prices, but its earnings fell short of Wall Street's forecast. The question now is: Will the earnings miss trigger a wider sell-off on Tuesday?