Corporate earnings season is here again. The first reports arrive today, starting with the aluminum company Alcoa. Analysts are bracing for a slew of lackluster numbers.

Companies in the S&P 500 predict lower third-quarter earnings by a four-to-one margin.

After the markets close today, everybody on Wall Street will be waiting to hear from the big aluminum producer Alcoa. The company's earnings are likely to give us clues about a lot more than metal.

Alcoa, one of the world's largest aluminum producers, announced its first quarterly loss since 2009 — and it says the European debt crisis is to blame.

One of the world's largest aluminum producers, Alcoa, announced its first quarterly loss since 2009, blaming problems on the European debt crisis.

Alcoa, a major aluminum producer, kicked off earnings season on a dull note. Will other American companies be affected by the ongoing problems in Europe?