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.