Last Week’s Big Dow Losers: Merck & Co., Inc. (MRK), United Technologies Corporation (UTX), Alcoa Inc (AA)

And finally, for the second consecutive week in a row, Alcoa Inc (NYSE:AA) ended the week as the Dow’s worst-performing stock. Two weeks ago, shares were down 7.29%. While this week wasn’t quite that bad, shares did move lower by 2.31%. The company is facing some serious headwinds as the price of aluminum continues its multiyear decline, caused by overproduction and oversupply in China. The country’s stockpiles of the metal have risen by nearly 50% in key markets and 30% throughout the country in just the past year. Also during that timeframe, the price of aluminum has dropped by 7.7% on the London Metal Exchange.

Alcoa Inc (NYSE:AA) has now fallen 2.76% year to date, making it the worst-performing Dow component of 2013.

Another stock making the losers’ list for the second week in a row is UnitedHealth Group Inc. (NYSE:UNH) . After losing 4.97%, shares fell another 1.74% this past week and are now on the verge of hitting a 52-week low. Investors have been fleeing the insurance provider after the U.S. government released proposed Medicare Advantage rates for 2014. UnitedHealth’s competitors have warned that profits will take a hit next year, and it seems investors are attempting to insure they don’t lose money by selling the health-insurance industry.

Other Dow losers this week were General Electric Company (NYSE:GE), down 0.85%; Travelers Companies Inc (NYSE:TRV), 0.39%; Caterpillar Inc. (NYSE:CAT), 0.19%; Bank of America Corp (NYSE:BAC), 0.87%; The Procter & Gamble Company (NYSE:PG), 0.64%; Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO), 0.38%; and American Express Company (NYSE:AXP), 0.32%.

The article Last Week’s Big Dow Losers originally appeared on Fool.com and is written by Matt Thalman.

Check back daily as Matt gives the rundown on the Dow’s winners and losers of the day, or follow him on Twitter: @mthalman5513. Fool contributor Matt Thalman owns Bank of America. The Motley Fool recommends American Express, Cisco Systems, Procter & Gamble, and UnitedHealth Group and owns shares of Bank of America and General Electric.

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