PepsiCo (PEP) understands the importance of global sales. So much so that its CEO, Indra Nooyi, was born and raised in India. Having led the company's global strategy for more than a decade prepared her well for the challenges of the leadership of the entire company.

That preparation is timely, given the weakness in the dollar and the explosion of opportunity for sales outside U.S. borders.

Last week, under the guise of betting on America, Warren Buffett and his Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A) made an offer to buy all outstanding shares of Burlington Northern (BNI) for a significant premium.

In making the announcement, Buffett confidently claimed that rail would play a big role in the recovery of the economy. What he did not say was that this was a bet on the U.S. dollar.

The future investment stars are already with us. The NYSE Financial Future Challenge, operated by the NYSE Foundation, By Kids for Kids, K12 Inc. and the United Investors Association, is in full swing, with five finalists just identified. To reach this level, the participants had to develop a new product, idea or process that would "excite, educate and motivate their peers" to become interested in the financial marketplace. The eventual winner lurks within this subset and will receive a $2,500 prize -- a great way to get that portfolio started. And, he or she will be feted at a closing bell ceremony at the NYSE (NYX) on January 11, 2010.

The finalists presented a variety of ideas which are sure to generate some buzz. Kelsey Foss, a 12-year-old from Mountainville, NY, proposed a new television show, "Stock Market Tycoon Idol," which would harness the popularity of reality TV while amping up the content. The program would involve the journeys of 10 kids as they seek to make money or lose it, with the possibility of becoming virtual millionaires along the way. The show would be set at a mock NYSE studio on Wall Street, and exports would be brought out to mentor the contestants. The reality TV reach would help engage a younger audience.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS) -- which includes A&W, Hawaiian Punch, Welch's, 7UP, Clamato, Margaritaville, and Yoo-Hoo among its diverse beverage offerings -- is scheduled to discuss its third-quarter 2009 financial results in a conference call Thursday at 11:00 AM ET, hosted by CEO Larry Young and CFO John Stewart. You can catch the live webcast of the call and accompanying slide presentation on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in September, Dr Pepper launched an energy drink and reaffirmed its full-year guidance. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this Plano, Tex.-based bottler and distributor of nonalcoholic beverages to report that earnings for that period rose 8.2% from a year ago to $0.49 per share. However, revenue for the quarter is expected to be 4.2% lower to $1.4 billion.

Vibe, the urban music magazine, is clawing its way back to life. New owners and editors are trying to make the magazine a success reality again, and they are making the web a priority ... which shouldn't be news but is for an ailing print industry.

The new editor-in-chief, Jermaine Hall, told AdAge that "Vibe.com is really the hub," and that everything needs to point back to the online presence. The print publication will be just one part of the Vibe Lifestyle Network, a move we're also seeing with the likes of Rolling Stone, where the website is being brought back into the fold (and may actually get some resources).

In Gordon Pape's Internet Wealth Builder, contributing analyst Tom Slee looks at "recession-resistant" global stocks. Here, he reviews Philip Morris International (NYSE: PM) and PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP).

Slee explains, "Philip Morris continues to benefit from rising tobacco consumption and 'uptrading' as people in the emerging countries switch to more expensive products.

"Almost recession proof, the international tobacco industry is prospering thanks mainly to new markets, strong cash flows, and reduced litigation.

Here are some highlights from last week's earnings coverage from BloggingStocks:

• Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) reported a surprise Q3 profit due to cost cutting; revenue topped estimates as well.
• Avis Budget Group Inc. (NYSE: CAR) said a proposed offering of $250 million in notes could reduce earnings.
• Clorox Co. (NYSE: CLX) earnings prospects garnered it an upgrade from one analyst.
• Coca-Cola Co. (NYSE: KO) earnings prospects resulted in an upgrade from one analyst.
• Costco Wholesale Corp. (NASDAQ: COST) lower Q4 earnings topped analysts' expectations, lifting shares.
• Family Dollar Stores Inc. (NYSE: FDO) higher Q4 earnings beat analysts' estimates but sales were just OK.

PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) reported third-quarter data earlier today. The beverage company that despises Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) with a passion called its numbers solid. I would tend to agree. The tables presented in the release won't go down in the history books, but for long-term shareholders, they were fine enough considering the economy.

Net revenue decreased 1.5%. Earnings per share on an adjusted basis increased 2% to $1.08. This bottom-line result is representative of a nice beat against the analysts. They were projecting $1.02 per share for profit, according to Elizabeth Harrow's preview of the quarter.

Snacks-and-soda stalwart PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) is scheduled to unveil its third-quarter results before the market opens this Thursday, Oct. 8. Heading into the report, analysts are expecting PEP to bank a profit of $1.02 per share, according to Thomson Reuters, fractionally lower than its year-ago earnings of $1.06 per share.

PepsiCo has a healthy history in the earnings spotlight, having exceeded Wall Street's consensus expectations in each of the previous three quarters. Judging by recent option activity, traders are speculating on another upside surprise from the Frito-Lay firm.

Alcoa Inc. (NYSE: AA) kicks off another earnings season this week, and analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters are looking for another net loss for the third quarter. Can we take that as a sign of things to come, or as a bellwether for the economy? Well, barring a big downside surprise, this will be the third narrower quarterly loss for Alcoa. But while Alcoa beat estimates in July, it missed them in April. Alcoa's shares, on the other hand, are up 145.6% since the March low, which is well more than twice as much either the Dow or the S&P 500.

During its third quarter, New York-based Alcoa continued restructuring efforts, remained a part of the DJIA Sustainability Index, and declared a quarterly dividend. It is expected to report a net loss of $0.12 per share for the three months that ended in September. That compares to a profit of $0.37 in the same period of last year. Third-quarter revenue is forecast to have fallen 38.3% to $4.5 billion. Analysts so far expect to see a profit in the fourth quarter, but not for the full year. Alcoa has missed earnings expectations in three of the past four quarters. The long-term EPS growth forecast is 20.0%, again much better than the S&P 500. The First Call consensus recommendation is to hold AA; CNBC concurs that now is not the time to buy. At $12.82, shares are 30.0% higher than three months ago, but 33.4% lower than a year ago.

"There's a misconception out there about PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP); all too often, it's viewed as a stodgy soft drink company, fully reliant on its namesake soda line," says money manager and newsletter advisor Jim Stack.

In his InvesTech Market Analyst, he suggests, "In reality, PepsiCo owns some of the most sought after brands in the world, including Gatorade, Tropicana, Frito-Lay and Doritos." Here's his review of the company and its outlook.

"PepsiCo does business in more than 200 countries worldwide, including key emerging market economies like China and India and, perhaps most important of all, it's a growth company with analysts expecting long-term future earnings growth of 10-12% per year.

As a Coca-Cola (NYSE: KO) shareholder, I was quite unnerved by recent talk centering on the issue of a soda tax. I'm sure PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) shareholders were likewise frightened. According to Bloomberg, President Barack Obama is apparently open to the concept. In theory, funds generated from such a tax could be used to help defray the costs associated with a new health-care paradigm.

Besides raising money, what would be the justification behind such a governmental strategy? Well, excess sugar consumption can be dangerous. It can lead to all kinds of complications. You know the drill: obesity, diabetes, etc. When health issues like those rise, the cost of health care increases as well.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group (NYSE: DPS) is having one refreshing day so far. At the time of this writing, shares of the beverage entity were up over 5%, with volume being quite strong. Dr Pepper delivered a decent Q2 report that surprised the experts on Wall Street, so the market was happy to extend a little buying interest.

According to the preview, Dr Pepper was supposed to do $1.5 billion on the top line and 49 cents on the bottom line. Net sales roughly matched the estimate, but net income went way beyond the call. Dr Pepper made 62 cents per share on an adjusted basis.

Dr Pepper Snapple Group Inc. (NYSE: DPS), the bottler and distributor whose brands also include A&W, Clamato, Country Time, Hawaiian Punch and Motts, is scheduled to discuss its second quarter 2009 results tomorrow morning in a conference call at 9:00 AM ET, featuring CEO Larry Young and CFO John Stewart. You can catch the live webcast on the company's website.

For the quarter in which Dr Pepper entered a marketing agreement with Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: ERTS) and expanded its product offerings to McDonald's Corporation (NYSE: MCD) and Jack in the Box (NASDAQ: JACK), analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect the Plano, Tex.-based beverage giant to report that earnings fell 18.3% from a year ago to $0.49 per share, though that's up from better-than-expected $0.37 per share in the first quarter. Revenue for the second quarter is expected to be 3.4% lower to $1.5 billion. Earnings beat estimates in three of the past four quarters, by as much as 8 cents per share.

After some wrangling, PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) has agreed to pull the trigger on the acquisitions of Pepsi Bottling Group (NYSE: PBG) and PepsiAmericas (NYSE: PAS). In all, the deals come to roughly $7.8 billion (half in stock and half in cash).

On the news of these transactions, the share prices of both Pepsi Bottling Group and PepsiAmericas have spiked 7%. Keep in mind that -- back in April -- Pepsi made a play for these companies, but at a total price tag of $6 billion or so.