AA vs TECH Comparison

Alcoa is a vertically integrated aluminum company whose operations include bauxite mining, alumina refining, and manufacturing primary aluminum. It is the world's largest bauxite miner and alumina refiner by production volume, and the eighth-largest aluminum producer. Profits are closely tied to prevailing commodity prices along the aluminum supply chain.Alcoa was the first mass producer of aluminum, launching the world-changing Hall-Heroult smelting process in the 1880s, making aluminum affordable. It listed as a public company in 1925. In 2016, Alcoa spun off its automotive and aerospace metal parts segment to focus on mining, smelting, and refining. It bought the 40% unowned balance of AWAC in mid-2024, meaning refining assets are now predominantly wholly owned, as with smelting.

Based in Minnesota, Bio-Techne is a life sciences manufacturer supplying consumables and instruments for the pharma, biotech, academic, and diagnostic markets. It reports in two segments: protein sciences (about 75% of revenue) and diagnostics and genomics (25%). The protein sciences segment sells reagents and analytical instruments used in life sciences research, including antibodies used in protein analysis. The diagnostics and genomics segment sells diagnostic reagents, molecular diagnostics, and spatial biology products. The United States accounts for about 55% of revenue. The firm also has operations in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa (20% of sales), the UK (5%), and Asia-Pacific (15%), with the rest of the world accounting for the remaining 5%.