After two days of posting declines, selling pressures finally cooled off on Wall Street as the fourth quarter’s earnings season got off to a relatively good start. Late last night, aluminum giant Alcoa (AA) reported that revenue was well above expectations and predicts aluminum demand growth to rise in 2013. Earnings reports from the bellwethers are often considered to be crucial indicators for the global economy. Though investors still remain cautious about the upcoming slew of earnings reports, analysts predict that the lowered expectations found among investors leaves room for companies to post positive surprises, even if results do not meet last year’s double-digit figures [see also Seven Simple & Cheap ETF Model Portfolios]. Global Market Overview: Stocks Post Modest Gains Following good earnings report from Alcoa, all three major U.S. equity indexes managed to inch their way into positive territory. The Dow Jones Industrial Average posted the largest gain, rising 0.49%. The S&P 500 ticked 0.25%, [...] Click here to read the original article on ETFdb.com. Related Posts: The Most Tradable Stock In Each Sector SPDR ETF Daily ETF Roundup: Flat Close On Fiscal Cliff Woes 3 ETFs In Focus As Election Nears ProShares Launches Geared Aussie Dollar ETFs Obamacare & Health Care ETFs: What You Need To Know