Earnings Per Share

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2011

L. Earnings Per Share – Basic earnings per share (EPS) amounts are computed by dividing earnings, after the deduction of preferred stock dividends declared and dividends and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities, by the average number of common shares outstanding. Diluted EPS amounts assume the issuance of common stock for all potentially dilutive share equivalents outstanding not classified as participating securities.

The information used to compute basic and diluted EPS attributable to Alcoa common shareholders was as follows (shares in millions):


	Third quarter ended September 30,				Nine months ended September 30,
	2011		2010		2011		2010
Income from continuing operations attributable to Alcoa common shareholders	$	172	$	61	$	807	$	4
Less: preferred stock dividends declared		1		1		2		2

Income from continuing operations available to common equity		171		60		805		2
Less: dividends and undistributed earnings allocated to participating securities		—		—		2		—

Income from continuing operations available to Alcoa common shareholders – basic		171		60		803		2
Add: interest expense related to convertible notes		8		—		22		—

Income from continuing operations available to Alcoa common shareholders – diluted	$	179	$	60	$	825	$	2

Average shares outstanding – basic		1,064		1,021		1,060		1,017
Effect of dilutive securities:
Stock options		7		5		8		5
Stock and performance awards		4		1		3		1
Convertible notes		89		—		89		—

Average shares outstanding – diluted		1,164		1,027		1,160		1,023

Participating securities are defined as unvested share-based payment awards that contain nonforfeitable rights to dividends or dividend equivalents (whether paid or unpaid) and are included in the computation of earnings per share pursuant to the two-class method. Prior to January 1, 2010, under Alcoa's stock-based compensation programs, certain employees were granted stock and performance awards, which entitle those employees to receive nonforfeitable dividends during the vesting period on a basis equivalent to the dividends paid to holders of Alcoa's common stock. As such, these unvested stock and performance awards met the definition of a participating security. Under the two-class method, all earnings, whether distributed or undistributed, are allocated to each class of common stock and participating securities based on their respective rights to receive dividends. At September 30, 2011 and 2010, there were 2 million and 5 million such participating securities outstanding, respectively.

Effective January 1, 2010, new grants of stock and performance awards do not contain a nonforfeitable right to dividends during the vesting period. As a result, an employee will forfeit the right to dividends accrued on unvested awards if that person does not fulfill their service requirement during the vesting period. As such, these awards are not treated as participating securities in the EPS calculation as the employees do not have equivalent dividend rights as common shareholders. These awards are included in the EPS calculation utilizing the treasury stock method similar to stock options. At September 30, 2011 and 2010, there were 8 million and 3 million such awards outstanding, respectively.

In the 2010 third quarter and nine-month period, 89 million potential shares of common stock related to the convertible notes were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because the effect was anti-dilutive.

Options to purchase 27 million and 32 million shares of common stock at a weighted average exercise price of $23.98 and $27.51 per share were outstanding as of September 30, 2011 and 2010, respectively, but were not included in the computation of diluted EPS because they were anti-dilutive, as the exercise prices of the options were greater than the average market price of Alcoa's common stock.