A Forward Look, The Year Ahead - Research Report on Alaska Air Group, Inc., Kaiser Aluminum Corp., Vale SA, KLA-Tencor Corporation and Applied Materials, Inc.

NEW YORK, March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ --

Today, Investors Alliance announced new research reports highlighting Alaska Air Group, Inc. (NYSE:ALK), Kaiser Aluminum Corp. (NASDAQ:KALU), Vale SA (NYSE:VALE), KLA-Tencor Corporation (NASDAQ:KLAC) and Applied Materials, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMAT). Today's readers may access these reports free of charge - including full price targets, industry analysis and analyst ratings - via the links below.

Alaska Air Group, Inc. Research Report

Alaska Air did meet expectations on revenues and even got more profits year-over year in Q4 of 2012, but it failed to meet expectations on GAAP earnings per share with dropped margins. Revenues reached $1.13 billion, meeting the expectation of S&P Capital IQ, and are higher 8.4 percent year-over-year. Earnings per share came in at 70 cents a share, two cents short of S&P's projection. The decline came as a result of fuel hedging, a tool used to reduce fuel-heavy companies' exposure to volatile and potentially rising fuel costs. Profit fell to $44 million despite higher revenues, from $64 million in the same period last year. However, the company is banking on its reputation as the top airline in terms of customer satisfaction to increase its already growing passenger traffic. Flying capacity grew 7.8 percent in Q4 of 2012, and is expected to grow by 7.5 percent for the whole of 2013 as the company increases the utilization of its existing fleet. The Full Research Report on Alaska Air Group, Inc. - including full detailed breakdown, analyst ratings and price targets - is available to download free of charge at: [http://www.Investors-Alliance.com/r/full_research_report/1914_ALK]

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Kaiser Aluminum Corp. Research Report

Kaiser Aluminum has posted gross margins of 18.1 percent, operating margins of 11.6 percent, and net margin of 6.1 percent in the past 12 months. A report from Motley Fool says these numbers often "separate pretenders from the best stocks" in the market, though they may not necessarily tell much about a company's direction. The company is presently ranked 11th out of 50 stocks comprising the Metals Channel Global Mining Titans Index, a variable list of the top 50 global leaders of the metals and mining sector. The rank could mean "many sharp minds" individually came to the same bullish conclusion, and the stock should do well. However, it could also mean that if the company stumbles, that would come as a negative surprise. Kaiser Aluminum also increased its dividend by 20 percent at 30 cents per share from 25 cents. The Full Research Report on Kaiser Aluminum Corp. - including full detailed breakdown, analyst ratings and price targets - is available to download free of charge at: [INSERTLINKHERE2]

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Vale SA Research Report

Brazil-based Vale, the world's largest supplier of iron-ore, is given a "hold" rating by The Street despite improvement in areas such as revenue growth, financial position, and debt. They said the "generally disappointing" performance on the stock and feeble growth in earnings per share countered the strengths. Nevertheless, iron ore demand is huge, especially in China. As the country's economic growth heading nowhere else but up, the Brazilian industrial minerals and Metals Company will profit the most with China's growth, as the country is the largest customer for iron ore as well as other industrial metals and minerals. A Motley Fool report expects fourth quarter revenues to be around $11.34 billion, higher than the previous quarter at $10.73 billion. However, it is lower compared to the same quarter last year at less than 27.8 percent. The Full Research Report on Vale SA - including full detailed breakdown, analyst ratings and price targets - is available to download free of charge at: [http://www.Investors-Alliance.com/r/full_research_report/cbe9_KALU]

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KLA-Tencor Corporation Research Report

KLA posted higher-than-expected revenue earnings for fiscal Q2 due to more orders generated by the strong demand for tablets and other mobile devices. Orders grew 50 percent higher sequentially thanks to its foundry segment, which now contributes to 67 percent of all new system orders. Memory customers also grew for the quarter, but customers for logic declined slightly. However, the exceeded expectations were actually declining numbers sequentially, with the revenues down 6.6 percent at $673 million. Margins also shrunk 149 bps due to inventory reserves and adjustments related to product transitions at customers. Operating expenses grew slightly at 1 percent sequentially at $213.5 million.

The Street rates KLA as a "buy," citing the performance of its revenue growth, debt, stock price, profit margins, and return on equity, all which outweigh the otherwise weak growth. The Full Research KLA-Tencor Corporation - including full detailed breakdown, analyst ratings and price targets - is available to download free of charge at: [http://www.Investors-Alliance.com/r/full_research_report/9726_VALE]

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Applied Materials, Inc. Research Report

Applied Materials are expecting Q2 sales to beat estimates as orders from its largest customers Intel and Taiwan Semiconductor have been higher than usual, showing signs of a reviving industry. It expects sales will rise 15 percent to 25 percent from the prior quarter, at $1.81 billion to $1.97 billion. Analysts estimate sales of $1.81 billion on the average. This comes after posting declines in Q1 profit due to pressure on its sales and margins, though the numbers did beat Wall Street estimates. The company says the demand for mobile products for the year is seen to go nowhere else but up after a weak economy hampered PC sales last year. Motley Fool says Applied has a "wide moat," or has strong competitive advantages, and should improve as the economy progresses. In addition, its new solar power business should also rake in the profits. The Full Research Report on Applied Materials, Inc. - including full detailed breakdown, analyst ratings and price targets - is available to download free of charge at: [http://www.Investors-Alliance.com/r/full_research_report/20dc_KLAC]

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SOURCE Investors-Alliance