Joy Global (JOYG) has done incredibly well over the last 12 months as a stock. Fundamentally, things appear okay, too. I noticed the move that the maker of mining equipment made Wednesday after it reported quarterly earnings and decided to have a look.

My colleague Connie Madon covered the bullet points of the company's latest quarter. Shareholders surely enjoyed the numbers. The market responded accordingly, sending the stock up almost 7% to $85.78. To put that rise in perspective, the 52-week high is currently set at $87.11. In case you're wondering, yes, that 52-week high was hit during the intraday session.

Companies on a shopping spree either feel their growth is confined or they are feeling flush. In the case of Caterpiller (CAT), which reported that it is going to buy Bucyrus for $8.6 billion, it is the latter. The company has had a terrific year in which it has seen a 76% increase in it's growth. This rapid increase in business has pushed the PEG ratio down to a low 0.86 with the stock trading near its 52- week high.

From what I can gather, the deal between CAT and Bucyrus has merit. Does that mean this is a good time to buy Caterpillar stock? I don't think so. More often than not, stocks trading near their highs will present better entry points with greater value to the more patient investor.

The shares of Joy Global Inc. (JOYG), first discussed here on June 15, 2009, at a price of $38.05, have pulled-back in-sync with the Dow's recent downdraft, but that doesn't change the company's promising future. Here's why:

A manufacturer and servicer of mining equipment, Joy Global is on-track to capitalize on the development of emerging markets, and that should drive impressive gains in orders, revenue, and margins. Even with sovereign debt issues clouding the European GDP growth story, global GDP growth still should be adequate, with impressive growth in Asia, provided Europe's woes do not substantially decrease the supply of credit globally.

Joy Global appears to be turning the corner, hence a Buy rating has been generated here, with a tight Sell/Stop Loss.

Institutional investors have recently bid-up shares on the thesis that the global recession is bottoming, which would mean good things for mining equipment supplier Joy Global (Nasdaq: JOYB).

Milwaukee-based Joy Global Inc. (NASDAQ: JOYG) offered up its fourth-quarter earnings report today, with the company raking in a profit of $1.11 per share on $1 billion in sales. The results surpassed analysts' expectations, which called for earnings of $1.08 per share.

The mining-equipment concern also updated its fiscal 2009 guidance. Joy Global now expects revenues of $3.5 billion to $3.7 billion for the current fiscal year, with earnings per share arriving between $3.60 and $4.00. The forecast fell short of Wall Street's consensus estimates for a full-year profit of $4.24 per share on $4 billion in revenue.

With so many corporations falling short of quarterly earnings expectations, investors have been quick to reward JOYG's better-than-expected fourth quarter. The stock gained roughly 10% in the first hour of today's trading, propelling the shares above resistance from their descending 10-week moving average.

Once the euphoria fades, though, Joy Global could be vulnerable to negative analyst notes. Zacks reports six Strong Buy ratings and two Buys, compared to just three skeptical Holds. If any of these bullish brokers are disappointed by the company's modest outlook for 2009, the stock could be hit with downgrades.

Price-target cuts are also a potential threat. JOYG's average 12-month price target is $49.45, according to Thomson Financial, representing a lofty premium of 118% to Tuesday's closing price. Any downward revisions to this consensus estimate could draw fresh selling pressure to the security.

Elizabeth Harrow is an analyst and financial writer in the research department at Schaeffer's Investment Research. She is featured in the video series Schaeffer's Daily Q&A on SchaeffersResearch.com.

"The agriculture, mining and oil and gas businesses are booming globally, and mining firms have been plagued by a lack of available earth-moving and subsurface mining equipment," notes Paul Tracy.

To benefit from this trend, the editor of The StreetAuthority Market Advisor recommends Ritchie Brothers Auctioneers (NYSE: RBA), the "largest auctioneer of used industrial and agricultural equipment in the world."

"The prices of wheat, soybeans, corn and other basic food commodities are surging to new multi-year highs. There are two main drivers of this trend: rising consumption of agricultural commodities in emerging markets and increased consumption of crops for biofuels production.

"The developing world is also driving demand for petroleum products and other raw materials. A building boom in China, for example, is driving demand for steel, copper and aluminum used in building construction.

"One problem holding back these industries in recent years is a shortage of equipment. Mining firms have been plagued by a lack of available earth-moving and subsurface mining equipment. And agricultural products producers need tractors, combines and other equipment that are in short supply globally to efficiently run their farms.

Readers of this space know that the investment bias is toward large-cap companies with demonstrated business models and who have a competitive advantage in established markets, preferably with a favorable global trend as a support. And with the above in mind, Bucyrus International is worth a review.

Bucyrus International, Inc. (Nasdaq: BUCY) manufactures and markets a variety of machines used in surface mining, and provides aftermarket parts and service for these machines. It has one of the largest installed bases of said machines in the world, as measured by replacement cost.

Demand for the BUCY's products is being driven by increased demand for surface mined commodities such as copper (in South America), oil sands (Canada), and coal (China, United States, India, Australia, South Africa and Russia). As one might sense, mining opportunities in China and India represent long-term business opportunities for the company.