AA vs TECK: How Alcoa Corporation and Teck Resources Compare (2026)
Last updated July 2026
Short answer
TECK is the larger of the two ($28.16B market cap): the incumbent the market prices for continued execution (16.20x forward earnings, beta 1.59). AA is the smaller challenger ($11.26B), cheaper on forward earnings (7.19x): more room to run, but more to prove. The real question is which set of drivers you believe, and whether owning one (or both) leaves you over-concentrated.
AA vs TECK: the tie-breaker metrics
Same yardstick, side by side (as of July 2026). Valuation lined up like this is most meaningful for two names in the same corner of the market, which these are. Figures are approximate; verify before investing.
| Metric | AA | TECK | What it tells you |
|---|---|---|---|
| Market cap | $11.26B | $28.16B | Size. The larger name is the incumbent; the smaller has more room to grow and more to prove. |
| Forward P/E | 7.19 | 16.20 | Valuation on next year's expected earnings, the same yardstick for both. Lower is cheaper for that growth; higher means the market is paying up. |
| Trailing P/E | 8.87 | 15.90 | Valuation on the last 12 months. A big drop from trailing to forward means the market expects earnings to jump, so more growth is already in the price. |
| Beta | 1.63 | 1.59 | Volatility vs the market. Above 1 swings harder than the index; below 1 is steadier. Higher beta means bigger drawdowns to hold through. |
| Price vs 52-week range | 26% of range | 66% of range | Where today's price sits between the 52-week low and high. Near the high is momentum with less margin of safety; near the low is out of favor or a discount, depending on why. |
| Price / book | 1.53 | 1.59 | How much you pay over book value. Very high can signal an asset-light, high-return business or a rich price. |
Reading it: AA is the cheaper of the two on forward earnings, but cheaper is not the same as better. Pair the valuation with growth (how far the forward P/E sits below the trailing P/E) and risk (beta) before you decide.
Before you buy: how AA and TECK affect your concentration
The metrics above tell you which is the marginally better business. The bigger risk for most people is not picking the slightly worse stock, it is over-concentrating. AA and TECK share themes, so owning both, or adding either to what you already hold, can quietly push a large share of your portfolio into one bet.
This is the part a generic comparison page cannot answer, because it depends on what you own. Connect your brokerage and Walnut shows your real, combined AA and TECK exposure, flags overlap with your existing positions, and tells you if adding one would tip you past a concentration you are comfortable with, read-only by default, with your login staying at your broker. Walnut is not an investment adviser.
What does Alcoa Corporation (AA) do?
Alcoa Corporation is one of the world's largest upstream aluminum companies, running the full chain from bauxite mining to alumina refining to aluminum smelting. It reports in two segments: Alumina (roughly 2.4 million metric tons produced in Q1 2026) and Aluminum (about 607,000 metric tons in the same quarter). Because it sells raw and semi-finished metal into global markets, Alcoa is a price-taker: its revenue and margins are driven mainly by the London Metal Exchange aluminum price and the alumina price index, plus its own energy and raw-material costs. That makes it different from downstream fabricators like Arconic that sell finished, engineered products at steadier margins.
What does Teck Resources (TECK) do?
Teck Resources is one of Canada's largest diversified miners, headquartered in Vancouver, with its Class B subordinate voting shares listed on the NYSE under TECK. Over 2024 the company sold its steelmaking (metallurgical) coal business, Elk Valley Resources, to a Glencore-led consortium (Glencore took a 77% interest and Nippon Steel 20%) for roughly US$7.3 billion, closing in July 2024. That deal transformed Teck from a coal-and-metals conglomerate into a base-metals company centered on copper and zinc, and it directed the proceeds toward share buybacks, debt reduction, and copper growth. Its core assets include the Quebrada Blanca (QB) mine in Chile, Highland Valley Copper in British Columbia, a 22.5% stake in Antamina in Peru, Carmen de Andacollo in Chile, and the Red Dog zinc mine in Alaska paired with the Trail smelter.
AA vs TECK: how do they differ?
Both fit overlapping themes, but they are not interchangeable. The useful comparison is which set of drivers and risks you want exposure to.
- AA drivers: Aluminum price and supply gap; San Ciprian restart and higher volumes.
- TECK drivers: Copper as the growth engine; The Anglo American merger of equals.
Which fits which kind of investor
A faster-growing, richer-valued name usually swings harder, so it suits a longer horizon and a higher tolerance for volatility; a steadier, more cash-generative business suits a more conservative or income-minded investor. The honest test is which set of risks you could hold through a drawdown: The dominant risk is commodity price cyclicality: with revenue tied to aluminum and alumina indices, a global slowdown or a swing in Chinese supply can compress earnings quickly, as Q1 2026's weaker alumina pricing already showed. For TECK, teck's results are highly sensitive to copper and zinc prices, which are cyclical and driven by global growth, Chinese demand, and the US dollar, so a downturn can compress earnings quickly.
AA or TECK: which should you pick?
Growth-minded investors who believe the theme has years to run tend to accept the richer multiple for more upside; value-minded investors lean toward the cheaper forward earnings and steadier profile. Pick AA if you believe its drivers more; TECK if you believe its. Many investors hold both, but since they share themes, that is a concentrated bet, not diversification. Decide deliberately and check overlap. For the full detail, see the AA and TECK guides.
AA vs TECK: the full fundamentals
AA. Figures are approximate and tied to the asOf date; verify live numbers before acting. For a cyclical producer, a low forward P/E can be a trap because it reflects peak-cycle earnings that may not repeat if metal prices fall, so earnings multiples on Alcoa mean less than where aluminum prices sit in the cycle. Analyst targets skew bullish on the aluminum supply-gap thesis, but that view is a bet on the commodity as much as on the company.
TECK. Teck posted a strong Q1 2026 with revenue of about $3.9 billion (up from roughly $2.3 billion a year earlier) and adjusted profit near $858 million, or about $1.75 per share, on record copper sales and prices. Full-year 2025 copper production of roughly 453,500 tonnes landed within guidance, with zinc at the high end. Valuation multiples reflect a cyclical miner whose earnings and cash flow move with metal prices, and the pending Anglo American merger is an additional swing factor in how the market prices the shares.
Headline figures (approximate, July 2026): AA shows revenue (ttm) ~$13 billion (Q1 2026 was ~$3.19 billion, down ~5% year over year), net income (q1 2026) ~$425 million attributable to common shareholders, diluted eps (q1 2026) ~$1.60 (adjusted ~$1.40), market cap ~$12.4 billion (stock ~$47 per share); TECK shows revenue (ttm) ~$12B, market cap ~$27B, p/e ratio ~21x, dividend yield ~0.6%.
The bottom line: AA vs TECK
AA and TECK are related but distinct: same themes, different businesses and risks. Neither wins in the abstract; the right pick is whichever thesis you actually believe, sized so you are not over-concentrated in one theme. Walnut can show your combined AA and TECK exposure against your real portfolio. It is not an investment adviser.
Investing in Alcoa Corporation with AI
Connect the broker you already use and ask Walnut's AI how AA fits what you actually hold: whether you own it already through a fund, what it would do to your concentration, and how it has tracked the S&P 500. Read-only by default, and you approve anything before it reaches your broker.
FAQ
What is the difference between AA and TECK?
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Alcoa Corporation is one of the world's largest upstream aluminum companies, running the full chain from bauxite mining to alumina refining to aluminum smelting. Teck Resources is one of Canada's largest diversified miners, headquartered in Vancouver, with its Class B subordinate voting shares listed on the NYSE under TECK. They show up together because they share investment themes, but they are different businesses, so the better fit depends on which thesis you are expressing.
Is AA or TECK the better stock?
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Neither is universally better. TECK is the larger incumbent; AA is the smaller challenger and looks cheaper on forward earnings. Walnut is informational, not investment advice. Compare what each does, the tie-breaker metrics above, and the risks, then decide which fits your thesis and what you already own.
Which is cheaper, AA or TECK?
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On forward P/E (as of July 2026), AA trades at 7.19x and TECK at 16.20x, so AA is the cheaper of the two on next year's expected earnings. A lower multiple is not automatically the better buy: a richer valuation can be justified by faster growth, and a lower one can reflect real risk. Weigh the multiple against how fast each business is compounding.
Should you own both AA and TECK?
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Because they share themes, owning both concentrates you in that theme. That can be intentional (a focused bet) or accidental (less diversification than it looks). Walnut can show your combined exposure across both, and whether adding either over-concentrates you, before you buy.
What are the risks of AA vs TECK?
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AA: The dominant risk is commodity price cyclicality: with revenue tied to aluminum and alumina indices, a global slowdown or a swing in Chinese supply can compress earnings quickly, as Q1 2026's weaker alumina pricing already showed. Energy costs are a structural risk because Alcoa lacks the cheap hydropower that rivals like Norsk Hydro and Rusal enjoy, leaving it higher on the cost curve in some regions. The South32 acquisition adds integration, financing, and execution risk, and could strain the balance sheet if metal prices turn. Tariffs and trade policy, including Section 232, add cost volatility and are outside the company's control. Operating cash flow was negative in Q1 2026 on working-capital outflows, a reminder that cyclical producers can burn cash even in otherwise healthy markets. TECK: Teck's results are highly sensitive to copper and zinc prices, which are cyclical and driven by global growth, Chinese demand, and the US dollar, so a downturn can compress earnings quickly. The Anglo American merger carries execution and timing risk: if terms change or the deal is delayed or challenged, the share price could react sharply, and holders end up owning a very different, larger company than the one they bought. Mining-specific hazards include operational disruptions and ramp-up issues at Quebrada Blanca, weather and shipping delays, cost inflation, and resource depletion. Geographic and political exposure in Chile and Peru adds permitting, tax, water, and community risk, and the industry faces ongoing environmental and regulatory scrutiny (including legacy water-quality issues at the former coal operations). Currency swings between the Canadian and US dollar also affect reported results.
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Walnut is informational, not investment advice. This page is descriptive and not a recommendation to buy or sell AA or TECK; figures are approximate and dated (as of July 2026). Verify current data before investing.