The commodities markets have been kicked into high gear. As America’s lenders change their mind, the world’s mining companies are on a surefire path to riches.

If you can’t farm it, you have to mine it. It is a great message, no matter if you are an investor or an out-of-work cowboy.

Riding through the streets of Alaska’s ever-wet capital, you see all sorts of bumper stickers. There are three main categories – fishing, mining and Sarah Palin.

It is the miners getting all of the attention this week.

There are several reasons the world’s mining industry is opening a big ‘ole bottle of bubbly, but none more poignant than the fact that America is shelling out debt faster than a hot-rod blackjack dealer unloading his deck.

As Uncle Sam goes “all in,” the folks paying for Washington’s lavish lifestyle are getting nervous. For proof, I need just one set of numbers.

In July, foreign purchasers bought just $15.3 billion more debt than they sold. In June, that number was $90.7 billion. If the trend continues (and you know it will), we could be in serious trouble.

Here come the interest rates

With an all-out disdain for American debt, countries like China and Russia are finding other ways to convert their greenbacks into something more useful. The commodities market has been the first vehicle of choice.

The share price of just about every major mining company is all the proof we need.

Every day, I compile a list of the session’s big winners and losers. I study them, look for the cause of the volatility and determine how to profit from the action. Lately, my winners list has been filled with the folks pulling minerals from the ground.

One player getting plenty of attention from the bulls is Hecla Mining (NYSE:HL).

So far this month, the silver, gold, lead and zinc miner has watched its Street value increase by more than 60%. Shares are up by over 6% today as gold prices continue their exploration above the critical $1,000 level.

As the markets worry more and more about the notion of runaway inflation and a weakening greenback, gold miners like Hecla will continue to increase in value.

Shares are approaching the $5 mark today, but a $10 quote by spring is not out of the question.

Another double-digit commodity winner comes from Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE:APC). If you are a Hot Stock Confidential subscriber, you are familiar with this oil and gas producer’s winning ways.

Since I recommended buying shares of the company back in May, share price has jumped by over 30%.

The gains continue today as natural gas prices surge above the $3.50 level and as word spreads about the company’s latest deepwater discovery off of Africa’s western coast. The news makes Anadarko a major player in the region and the markets are rewarding the company in kind.

Progress in action

Finally, after spending a week in Juneau, I could not write a piece about the mining industry and not mention Coeur d’Alene Mines (NYSE:CDE), the owner of the ever-disputed Kensington Mine.

Over the past week, I had the opportunity to see the mine, talk with some of its employees and witness the hustle and bustle taking place as the site finally goes into action.

With metal prices on the rise, the mine could not have better timing. When the first minerals are pulled from the ground early next year, the company will get a hefty price for its product.

It is no wonder shares of the company are up by more than 100% in the last ninety days.

No matter your political slant or your views of the mining industry, there is absolutely no room to deny the fundamental value of tangible assets like commodities.

As the world’s wealth and power transfers from one continent to another, the rocks buried beneath the earth’s surface will be the only reliable asset.

If I were you, I would get my hands on some.

Source: Commodities Market: Dig Your Way to Riches