"London-based Rio Tinto (RIO) is one of the largest and most diversified mining companies in the world; ith the potential to reward shareholders with increased dividends and share buybacks, Rio is a buy for investors seeking exposure to booming commodity markets," says Paul Tracy.

The editor of High Yield International explains, "Rio's operations are located in Australia, North and South America, South Africa, Europe and Indonesia. Its strategy is to concentrate on the development of large, high quality mineral deposits and become a low-cost producer for each commodity.

While the U.S. exchanges have a diverse market for mining and resource stocks, the fact is that there are large opportunities in foreign markets. In fact, the London Stock Exchange (LSE) and the Canadian TMX Group have agreed to merge, which would create an enormous market for commodities listings.

It is an all-stock deal, with the LSE holders getting roughly 55% of the equity. The exchange's CEO, Xavier Rolet, will also lead the new organization.

Australian mining firm Rio Tinto (RIO) revealed plans to triple its capital expenditure to around $11 billion. The company also plans to up its iron ore production by more than 50% during the next five years.

The boost in production stems from new drilling and a reevaluation of deposits in Western Australia where the company found an extra two billion tons of iron ore reserves. The expansion of the iron ore division should help RIO take advantage of the "growing demand for raw materials to make steel" in China.

Analyst Upgrades

• JMP Securities upgraded Hewlett-Packard (HPQ) to outperform from market perform based on valuation and checks that indicate strength in enterprise PCs, high growth geographies and light laptops. The firm has a $50 target on the stock.
• RBC Capital upgraded Rio Tinto (RTP) to outperform from sector perform, citing the company's improving growth plans and attractive risk profile.
• Goldman upgraded FormFactor (FORM) to neutral from sell, but lowered its price target to $6 from $10. The firm cites valuation for the upgrade.
• MCG Capital (MCGC) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• CRH (CRH) was upgraded to neutral from underweight at JPMorgan.
• Melco Crown (MPEL) was upgraded to overweight from equal weight at Morgan Stanley.

Analyst Upgrades

• JMP Securities upgraded Boston Properties (BXP) to outperform from market perform and has an $89 price target on the stock. The firm upgraded shares based on near-term catalysts that include, the potential start of 1msf of development in Midtown, investments, and selection as 1 World Trade Center project manager.
• Baird upgraded Bucyrus (BUCY) to outperform from neutral, citing valuation and an a more favorable view of the Terex Mining acquisition. The firm has an $83 price target on the stock.
• Jefferies upgraded Warner Chilcott (WCRX) to buy from hold and has a $30 price target on the stock. The firm upgraded shares based on valuation and conservative guidance.
• AmeriCredit (ACF) was upgraded to market perform from underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Royal Dutch Shell (RDS.A) was upgraded to overweight from neutral at JPMorgan.
• Rio Tinto (RTP) was upgraded to outperform from market perform at Bernstein.

A new method of setting the price on iron ore for export is upsetting Chinese and European steel makers and auto manufacturers, but that same pricing scheme is most likely going to benefit U.S. steelmakers such as AK Steel (AKS), Nucor (NUE) and U.S. Steel (X).

In the past, iron ore pricing was largely set on an annual basis, with the first negotiated ore contracts of the season setting the price for the duration of that season. However, this year, the three largest iron ore miners, BHP Billiton (BHP), Rio Tinto (RTP) and Vale SA (VALE), have decided that they will seek quarterly renegotiation of ore contract pricing. This will allow those companies to take better advantage of increases in iron ore demand and spikes in spot prices.

A Shanghai court early Monday decided that four Rio Tinto (RTP) employees were guilty of accepting bribes and stealing state secrets.

According to reports, Australian national Stern Hu received 10 years in prison, Wang Yong received 14 years, Ge Minqiang was sentenced to eight years, and Liu Caikui was sentenced to seven years. There were also some fines for Hu associated with the charges. All four of the accused plead guilty to bribery, but argued the size of the bribes offered.

Ivanhoe Mines (NYSE: IVN) was broadly lower Wednesday after mining giant Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) boosted its stake in the company from 9.9% to 19.7%. Rio Tinto raised its interest in Ivanhoe by purchasing 46.3 million common shares for $388 million. The proceeds will be used to help build and commission Ivanhoe's Oyu Tolgoi project in Mongolia.

Thanks to the capital infusion, Ivanhoe now has roughly $610 million in cash on its balance sheet. However, traders are hardly cheering the news -- perhaps because Rio Tinto snapped up the stock at a bargain price of $8.38 per share, representing a steep discount to Tuesday's closing price of $11.51.

Analyst upgrades:

• UBS upgraded Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) to Buy from Neutral and raised its target to $265 from $170, citing higher iPhone expectations, new partnerships, and likely upward revisions to Street estimates driven by gross margins.
• Wells Fargo upgraded Comcast (NASDAQ: CMCSA) to Outperform from Market Perform. The firm views a possible deal between end General Electric's (NYSE: GE) NBC Universal positively, as it thinks NBC will provide higher-margin growth for Comcast.
• Janney Montgomery upgraded Michael Baker (AMEX: BKR) to Buy from Neutral after the company completed the sale of its Energy business. The firm raised its target on shares to $46 from $40.
• Jefferies assumed coverage of Endo Pharma (NASDAQ: ENDP) and upgraded the stock to Buy from Hold. The firm cites valuation, a strong base business, and solid cash flow for the upgrade, and has a $30 target price on shares.
• Marten Transport (NASDAQ: MRTN) was upgraded to Overweight from Equal Weight at Stephens.
• U.S. Bancorp (NYSE: USB) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.

Analyst upgrades:

• Jefferies upgraded Aruba Networks (NASDAQ: ARUN) to Buy from Hold following the company's Q3 results to reflect improved visibility. The firm raised its target price to $6.50 from $3.
• Citigroup upgraded Mosaic (NYSE: MOS) and Potash (NYSE: POT) to Buy from Hold and Agrium (NYSE: AGU) to Hold from Sell as it believes stronger grain fundamentals more than offset China contract risk. The firm raised its target on Mosaic to $72 from $48, on Potash to $145 from $83 and on Agrium to $55 from $36.
• Fulton Financial (NASDAQ: FULT) Was upgraded to Market Perform from Underperform at Keefe Bruyette.
• Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP) was raised to Neutral from Sell at Goldman.
• Noble Corp. (NYSE: NE) was upgraded at Deutsche Bank to Buy from Hold.