Analyst Upgrades

• Micron (MU) to buy from neutral at UBS.
• Baker Hughes (BHI) to outperform from market perform at BMO Capital.
• PDL BioPharma (PDLI) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.
• Fluor (FLR) and Rush Enterprises (RUSHA) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merrill.
• Camden Property (CPT) to outperform from neutral at Macquarie.
• Pinnacle Financial (PNFP) to buy from hold at Wunderlich.
• Linear Technology (LLTC) to neutral from reduce at Nomura.
• Hologic (HOLX) and Illumina (ILMN) to buy from hold at Citigroup.
• F5 Networks (FFIV) to buy from neutral at Gleacher.

Pharmaceutical company MannKind (MNKD) shares have traded considerably higher this morning, gaining 9% shortly after the opening bell and trading in the upper $8 region. It appears that the rally was sparked by news that the U.S. Federal Drug Administration would not be able to complete a review of the company's inhaled insulin Afrezza by December 29.

The FDA added that it will need roughly four more weeks to complete the review. Back in July, the FDA accepted a resubmission on Afrezza and classified it a class 2 response.

If you are looking for clues telling you which stocks have a good chance of increasing in value, you might want consider watching what insiders are doing. After all, talk is cheap, but when insiders put their own money on the line, you should sit up and take note.

Equity One Inc. (EQY) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 900,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $15,210,000. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 1.11% and now own 0.77% of EQY stock.

Analyst Upgrades

• InterMune (ITMN) to outperform from neutral at RW Baird.
• Huntington Bancshares (HBAN) to buy from neutral at BofA/Merill.
• Halliburton (HAL), Cloud Peak Energy (CLD), Patriot Coal (PCX) and Consol Energy (CNX) to outperform from market perform at FBR Capital.
• Post Properties (PPS) to equal weight from underweight at Barclays.
• Airgas (ARG) to overweight from neutral at Piper Jaffray.
• Hologic (HOLX) to top pick from sector perform and Sunesis Pharma (SNSS) to outperform from sector perform at RBC Capital.

If you are looking for clues to which stocks have a good chance of increasing in value, you might want consider watching what insiders are doing. After all, talk is cheap, but when insiders put their own money on the line, you should take note.

Jefferies Group (JEF) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 1,382,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $32,403,125. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 1.73% and now own 3.76% of the stock.

MannKind Corp. (MNKD) has lately enjoyed a minor winning streak atop former resistance from its 10-day and 20-day moving averages, with the stock notching six consecutive daily closes above this trendline duo. However, judging by a bearish option strategy that crossed the tape on Tuesday, one options trader isn't buying into the equity's rebound.

Specifically, the trader opened a long put spread on MNKD by buying to open 2,000 contracts of the August 7.50 put, and simultaneously selling to open 2,000 contracts of the August 5 put. This bearishly biased spread was initiated for a net debit of $1.60, which is the trader's maximum potential loss on the play.

Today is supposed the first day of earnings season, yet few of the major stocks were big movers. The markets were strong at the start and in pre-market trading, yet the gains were challenged throughout the trading day. Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 10,664.52 +46.33 (0.44%)
S&P 500 1,147.01 +2.03 (0.18%)
Nasdaq 2,312.41 -4.76 (-0.21%)

Top Analyst Upgrades & Downgrades
Top Stock & Market Rumors

This post is part of a special report, Top Picks for 2010, the 27th annual survey in which TheStockAdvisors.com asks the nation's leading advisors for their single favorite stock for the new year. See all 80 stocks listed here.

"My top stock pick for 2010 is MannKind Corp. (MNKD), which is developing a a novel formulation of inhalable insulin called Afresa," notes Nate Pile.

In his Nate's Notes newsletter, he explains, "I would emphasize that while the stock must be considered speculative until the FDA delivers a ruling in mid-January of next year, I believe the clinical data that has been submitted by the company is likely to warrant approval."

MannKind (NYSE: MNKD - option chain) stock is trading lower today after the company said it will be unable to strike a partnership deal for its inhaled insulin product, Afresa, by the end of the year. The delay is due to a lag in obtaining FDA approval for Afresa, which may not come until January 2010. If you think this stock won't be rising too far in the coming months, then it could be a good time to look at a bearish hedged play on MNKD.

This morning, MNKD opened at $8.03. So far today the stock has hit a high of $8.03 and a low of $6.52. As of 12:55, MNKD is trading at $6.77, down $2.44 (-26.5%). The chart for MNKD looks bullish.

"In looking for a highly speculative stock for our portfolio, I have settled on MannKind Corp. (NASDAQ: MNKD), a company that is developing an inhaled insulin product," says Nate Pile.

In his growth-oriented Nate's Notes, the advisor cautions, "I believe we are looking at a situation in which we will either lose most of our money, or triple (or better) our investment in a fairly short period of time."

"In a nutshell, the company's near-term fate hinges upon AFRESA, a novel, ultra rapid acting mealtime insulin therapy being studied for use in adult patients with type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus for the treatment of hyperglycemia.

"Working against the company is the fact that there has never been an inhaled insulin product approved for commercial use that has worked very well.

MOST NOTEWORTHY: Patterson Companies, Virgin Media and MannKind were today's noteworthy downgrades:

• Patterson (NASDAQ:PDCO) was downgraded to Neutral from Outperform at Baird, as the firm's checks indicate industry fundamentals have softened and it sees greater near-term risk for dental consumables than dental equipment.
  
• Virgin Media (NASDAQ:VMED) was cut to Hold from Buy at Jefferies as they believe the company's results could be under pressure given the continued competitive activity and potential weakening of the UK economy.
  
• Piper downgraded shares of MannKind (NASDAQ:MNKD) to Neutral from Buy and lowered their target to $1.50 after Pfizer (NYSE:PFE) discontinued inhaled insulin Exubera due to an increase in lung cancer cases.

OTHER DOWNGRADES:

• Lehman cut Cheniere Energy (LNG) to Equal Weight from Overweight.
  
• Pantry (PTRY) was cut to Market Perform from Outperform at Friedman Billings.
  
• JP Morgan lowered Watsco (WSO) to Neutral from Overweight.

MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD) is a biopharmaceutical company focused on the discovery, development and commercialization of therapeutic products for diabetes and cancer.

MNKD lead product, Technosphere insulin (TI) an inhaled insulin in phase three data is expected in 2010.

MNKD May option implied volatility is at 68; January 2010 option implied volatility is at 96 according to Track Data, suggesting larger price movement in 2010.

Option Update is provided by Stock Specialist Paul Foster of theflyonthewall.com