BREAKWATER RESOURCES $6.61 (Toronto symbol BWR; TSINetwork Rating: Speculative) (416-363-4798; www.breakwater.ca; Shares outstanding: 70.4 million; Market cap: $465.6 million; No dividends paid) (All figures reflect a 1-for-10 consolidation in June 2010) mainly produces zinc. The company operates the Myra Falls mine in B.C., the Mochito mine in Honduras and the Toqui mine in Chile.

Breakwater’s shares have jumped 223.5% from …read more »

DIAMONDS NORTH RESOURCES $0.17 (Toronto symbol DDN; TSINetwork Rating: Start-up) (1-866-802-2010; www.diamondsnorthresources.com; Shares outstanding: 86.9 million; Market cap: $14.8 million; No dividends paid) has identified 22 areas on its Amaruk property in Nunavut that could contain nickel. Its partner, Minerals and Metals Group, plans to spend $1.65 million to explore the property in 2011.

Minerals and Metals is earning a …read more »

BAFFINLAND IRON MINES $1.51 (Toronto symbol BIM; TSINetwork Rating: Start-up) (416-364-8820; www.baffinland.com; Shares outstanding: 343.1 million; Market cap: $518.1 million; No dividends paid) is now the subject of a joint takeover bid. Luxembourg-based ArcelorMittal, the world’s largest steelmaker, and rival bidder Nunavut Iron Ore Acquisition have teamed up to make this new bid.

The new offer is for $1.50 a share …read more »

ALCOA INC. $14 (New York symbol AA; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; Shares outstanding: 1.0 billion; Market cap: $14.0 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 0.7; Dividend yield: 0.9%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.alcoa.com) is one of the world’s largest aluminum producers. Its customers are mainly in the aerospace, automotive and construction industries.

The company produced 12.0% more raw alumina ore in its latest quarter …read more »

BHP BILLITON LTD. ADRs $89 (New York symbol BHP; Conservative Growth Portfolio, Resources sector; ADRs outstanding: 2.8 billion; Market cap: $249.2 billion; Price-to-sales ratio: 4.7; Dividend yield: 2.0%; TSINetwork Rating: Average; www.bhpbilliton.com) is the world’s largest mining company, with major operations in Australia, South Africa, Chile and the U.K. It produces iron ore, coal, oil, aluminum, manganese, diamonds and titanium.

Regulators …read more »

Commodities like gold and copper provide a hedge against inflation. But even if inflation stays low, commodity prices are likely to keep rising as rapid economic growth in Asia and South America spurs new construction and car sales. That will help BHP, Newmont and Alcoa. All three are high-quality, well-established resource stocks that have jumped lately. Still, we see only …read more »

CAMECO CORP. $38.25 (Toronto symbol CCO; SI Rating: Extra Risk) (306-956-6200; www.cameco.com; Shares outstanding: 393.5 million; Market cap: $15.0 billion; Div. yield 0.7%) is the world’s largest uranium producer. It supplies over 18% of global production, and has large, high-grade reserves, low-cost operations, significant market share and a number of uranium mines. The company also holds a 31.6% interest in …read more »

NORTHGATE MINERALS CORP. $3.08 (Toronto symbol NGX; SI Rating: Speculative) (604-681-4004; www.northgateminerals.ca; Shares outstanding: 291.1 million; Market cap: $896.5 million; No dividends paid) is focused on building a mine at its Young-Davidson gold property in northern Ontario.

The $339-million open-pit/underground mine is now under construction, and is scheduled to start up in 2012. It is expected to produce 180,000 ounces …read more »

Higher commodity prices and an improving global economy have pushed up the prices of many junior mining stocks recently. That has prompted more members of our Inner Circle service to ask us for our recommendations on junior mines they are considering investing in.

(See below for further details on a junior firm that explores for rare earth elements, which have attracted …read more »

CANALASKA URANIUM $1.16 (Toronto symbol CVV; SI Rating: Start-up) (1-800-667-1870; www.canalaska.com; Shares outstanding: 17.2 million; Market cap: $20.0 million; No dividends paid) has completed its 1-for-10 share consolidation. That lowered its shares outstanding from 171.9 million to 17.2 million.

Consolidations, or reverse stock splits, sometimes hurt investor confidence. In CanAlaska’s case, it had little effect. Its shares shot up to $1.57 …read more »