SAN FRANCISCO (MarketWatch) -- Aluminum maker Alcoa AA +5.09% late Tuesday topped analyst views for its first quarter, posting a profit of $94 million, or 9 cents a share. Analysts polled by FactSet had forecast a loss of 3 cents a share. For the quarter ended March 31, Alcoa reported sales of $6 billion, up slightly from the same 2011 period. The company continues to project global aluminum demand will grow 7% this year. Alcoa shares rallied 5% to $9.79 in late trades, erasing a 3% drop in the regular session