Aluminum producer Alcoa Inc reported a second consecutive quarterly loss on Tuesday, due mostly to a drop in demand, especially in the auto industry, and sharply lower prices.

The first-quarter net loss was $497 million, or 61 cents per share, compared with a profit of $303 million, or 37 cents per share, in the same quarter of 2008, the Pittsburgh-based company said.

The loss from continuing operations was 59 cents per share.

Alcoa shares were up 2 percent in after-hours trading.

Revenue fell to $4.1 billion from $6.5 billion a year earlier. Analysts on average were expecting a loss of 55 cents per share, with revenue of $4.11 billion, according to Reuters Estimates.

The aluminum price tumbled some 50 percent in the second half of 2008 from a peak of $3,380 per tonne last July. During the first quarter, the price fell another 9 percent to $1,392 from $1,530.

(Editing by Andre Grenon)