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Alcoa earnings quality score

How much of the reported profit is backed by cash, and how many markers of managed earnings the filings show

Score53 / 100 · grade C · rank 834 of 1027

Alcoa (AA) scores 53 of 100 for earnings quality, grade C: rank 834 of 1027 companies and 73 of 82 in materials. It loses the most points on accruals of -0.2% of assets, higher than 85% of companies, Montier C-score 3 of 5 checks failed, discretionary accruals of +4.0% of assets (modified Jones), larger than most. It earns full or near-full marks for Dechow F-score 0.26 (normal), profit about as variable as cash flow (smoothness 1.78).

What earned and lost points

ComponentWhat the filings showPointsOf
Accrualsaccruals of -0.2% of assets, higher than 85% of companies427
Dechow F-scoreDechow F-score 0.26 (normal)2020
Montier C-scoreMontier C-score 3 of 5 checks failed820
Discretionary accrualsdiscretionary accruals of +4.0% of assets (modified Jones), larger than most613
Non-GAAP gapadjusted earnings 11% below GAAP813
Earnings smoothnessprofit about as variable as cash flow (smoothness 1.78)77
AA: share of the available points, by componentAA: share of the available points, by componentAccruals15%Discretionary accruals41%Dechow F-score100%Montier C-score40%Non-GAAP gap62%Earnings smoothness100%

How the score is built

Eight published measures, each scored against the whole universe or on its own scale and weighted: accruals 20, discretionary accruals 10, Beneish M 15, Dechow F 15, Montier C 15, Piotroski F 10, the non-GAAP gap 10, smoothness 5. A measure that cannot be computed (Beneish for a bank, say) drops out and the rest is rescaled, so every company is scored on what applies to it.

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Computed from the companies’ own XBRL filings (latest fiscal year) by published formulas; a statistical screen, not an audit or an accusation. A low score means the reported profit shows more of the markers of managed or low-quality earnings than its peers. Not investment advice.