ALCOA INC. $8.27 - New York symbol AA

ALCOA INC. $8.27 (New York symbol AA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.1 billion; Market cap: $9.1 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.4; Dividend yield: 1.5%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.alcoa.com) has completed the sale of its Tapoco hydroelectric dams in Tennessee and North Carolina. These facilities supply power to Alcoa’s nearby aluminum smelter. The company recently shut down parts of the smelter, so it no longer needs this power.

Alcoa received $600 million, or 7% of its market cap, for the Tapoco assets. The company did not say what it would do with the cash, but it could use it to pay down its long-term debt of $8.4 billion.

Alcoa is a buy.

A professional investment analyst for more than 30 years, Pat has developed a stock-selection technique that has proven reliable in both bull and bear markets. His proprietary ValuVesting System™ focuses on stocks that provide exceptional quality at relatively low prices. Many savvy investors and industry leaders consider it the most powerful stock-picking method ever created.