Analyst Upgrades

• Marriott (MAR) to outperform from market perform at Wells Fargo.
• Quest Diagnostics (DGX) and Owens-Illinois (OI) to outperform from neutral at Credit Suisse.
• FirstMerit (FMER) to outperform from perform at Oppenheimer.
• Safeway (SWY) to hold from sell at Citigroup.
• Babcock & Wilcox (BWC) to buy from neutral, as well as Jacobs Engineering (JEC) and W. R. Berkley (WRB) to neutral from sell, at Goldman.
• Pioneer Natural (PXD) to overweight from equal weight at Barclays.
• Teekay Tankers (TNK) to buy from underperform at BofA/Merrill.

American Superconductor (AMSC) gapped lower right out of the gate this morning, thanks to a bearish write-up in Barron's (subscription required) over the weekend. In a piece titled "Flagging Winds from China," author Bill Alpert warns of "signs that China's boom in wind power is slowing." As points of concern, Alpert points to dropping prices and rising inventories in the wind-turbine industry.

AMSC tumbled to a loss of more than 6% Monday morning, deepening its year-to-date decline of 18%. The stock has suffered four consecutive Friday closes beneath its 10-week moving average, and AMSC is now trading below its 20-week moving average, as well. Going forward, these formerly supportive trendlines could switch roles to act as resistance.

"Five years ago, we presented a strong case for investing in China; we felt so compelled by the opportunity that we expanded our research team and opened a regional research office in Hong Kong," says Jim Oberweis, Jr.

The money manager and editor of The Oberweis Report reviews his current outlook on China, as well as some of his favorite U.S.-listed small cap Chinese companies that are currently in our portfolio.

The advisor explains, "We just recently celebrated the five-year anniversary of our Oberweis China Opportunities Fund; since its inception, the fund returned an average annualized gain of 22.94%.

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.

Pilgrim's Pride (PPC) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 21,000,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $125,160,000. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 0.18% and now own 38.97% of PPC stock.

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.

American Superconductor Corp (AMSC) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 500,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $18,060,002. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 35.53% and now own 10.05% of AMSC stock.

Kratos Defense & Security Solutions Inc (KTOS) was not far behind, with insiders buying 100,000 shares at a market value of $1,020,000. Insiders now own 2.07% of the company's stock after decreasing their overall holdings by 35.79% during the past six months.

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.

American Superconductor Corp (AMSC) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 200,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $5,657,600. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 27.24% and now own 10.05% of AMSC stock.

Mediamind Technologies Inc (MDMD) was not far behind, with insiders buying 380,200 shares at a market value of $4,372,302. Insiders now own 0.00% of the company's stock after decreasing their overall holdings by 0.00% during the past six months.

"Paranoia is indeed pervasive in the marketplace today; even our ever-optimistic team has been waking up in the middle of the night," says money manager and small cap expert Jim Oberweis, Jr.

The advisor, who also published The Oberweis Report, explains, "And there's no place where that paranoia runs deeper right now than in semiconductor and renewable energy stocks. Even though these two industries are among the few that have realized significant growth, nobody cares.

"Company after company has beaten analysts' earnings estimates this quarter, only to be greeted in the stock market with a big fat yawn.

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.

American Superconductor Corp (AMSC) topped the insider-buying charts for the week ending July 9th as insiders snapped up 200,000 shares of company stock at a market value of $6,403,500. During the past six months, insiders have increased their overall holdings in the company by 12.78% and now own 10.23% of AMSC stock.

Blackrock Inc (BLK) was not far behind, with insiders buying 41,000 shares at a market value of $6,247,268. Insiders now own 68.23% of the company's stock after decreasing their overall holdings by 0.02% during the past six months.

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.

Michael Cintolo, editor of The Cabot Market Letter and The Cabot Top Ten Report, looks to the alternative energy sector for his favorite investment idea for 2010.

The growth stock expert explains, "I consider American Superconductor (AMSC) to be the #1 wind power story in the market today." Here's his review.

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.

"Looking for a way to bet on a continued rebound in technology stocks, a rise in worldwide demand for energy, and China ... all in one?" asks small-cap growth stock expert Jim Oberweis Jr.

The money manager and editor of The Oberweis Report suggests, "Take a look at American Superconductor Corp. (AMSC), my choice for the top idea for 2010.

Today was all about much better than expected GDP reports. The lackluster jobless claims failed to even make a ripple after the GDP marked an unofficial end of the recession. The market absorbed over $500 million in secondary offerings like it was a stick of butter being put on a giant baked potato.

Here were today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 9,960.54 +197.85 (2.03%)
S&P 500 1,065.81 +23.18 (2.22%)
Nasdaq 2,097.55 +37.94 (1.84%)

Top 10 Analyst Calls
Top Stock Rumors

Brendan Coffey is a specialist on "green" investing; in his The Cabot Green Investor, he looks to alternative energy firm American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC).

Here's his review of the company, which is a player both in wind power and energy efficient wiring that can play a role in improved power grid systems.

"Long an R&D company, focusing on highly conductive wiring, American Superconductor made a game-changing purchase of an Austrian wind company, Windtec, in early 2007.

"American Superconductor (NASDAQ: AMSC) should benefit from an update of the nation's power grid," says Jim Powell.

Here, the editor of Global Changes & Opportunities Report reviews this leading manufacturer of more efficient high temperature superconductor-based wires and cables.

"I've been writing about infrastructure stocks ever since it became apparent that big federal spending programs were on the way. I believe American Superconductor will perform very well. In fact, its price has already started to rise.

"American Superconductor is not yet profitable. However, the company is well past the development stage. AMSC makes high temperature superconductor (HTS) wires and cables that carry as much as 150 times the current as conventional products of the same weight and diameter.

Minyanville contributor Sean Udall dares to share the kind of keen insight and actionable information you won't find in any prospectus. For more original thought, visit www.minyanville.com.

• I've taken a leg in the Ultra QQQ ProShares (AMEX: QLD). The market has popped 2% off lows, the question is will it pop the full 7%?
  
  
• I'm seeing a few positive divergences and the percentage of stocks below the 50 day moving average is well below the 2002 levels. I haven't looked at the percentage of stocks below the 200 day, but I'm sure the reading should be equally distressed.
  
  
• I know people are pricing in earnings per share Armageddon in tech land -- so the question is, what happens to many of these stocks if it's really just sort of "punk" and not a total cataclysmic drop in revenue guidance.
  

Today was indicative of another mixed day for equities, and other markets were mixed as well. We saw a sharp rise in bond yields due to a more hawkish fear from Wall Street about the FOMC rather than the wider than expected trade deficit reported this month. Oils closed down again on increased production today, although we still sit north of $130/barrel. Here are the unofficial closes of major US index levels:

• DJIA 12286.18 (+5.86)
• S&P500 1358.10 (-3.66)
• NASDAQ 2448.94 (-10.52)
• 10YR T-NOTE 4.099% (+0.107%)
• Top 10 Analyst Calls

There were also many biotech stocks today (ACHN, CRXL, MNKD, SQNM, CYTR, CYTX, INGN, ATHX, MITI, GTOP) which saw mystery moves to the downside on either not big news or as a follow-on trading move after news from the last few days.

American Superconductor Corp. (NASDAQ: AMSC) saw a sharp rise and shares were up almost 20% to $43.25 in the final minutes of trading today. The company secured a follow-on order today from China worth more than two-year's worth of revenues for the company.