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.

3M (NYSE: MMM) is one of those solid stocks that investors love to sock away in a core portfolio. It was down when pessimism about the economy was at its peak, but it's coming back now that Wall Street is becoming comfortable with the idea that the economic clouds will eventually give way to rays of macro sunshine.

Earlier in the week, 3M reported a great quarter. No, it wasn't so great on a comparable basis. The company, which counts Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) and DuPont (NYSE: DD) as colleagues, suffered a decline of almost 6% on the top line in Q3. Earnings per share on an adjusted basis, which came in at $1.37 per share, were down 3.5%.

Kimberly-Clark Corporation (NYSE: KMB), a consumer products entity whose colleagues include Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) and Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), is up today on third-quarter results. At the time of this writing, my screen was showing shares of Kimberly-Clark higher by a little under 6%.

According to the corporate press release, sales declined 1.7%. Not a great start, but Kimberly-Clark highlighted a better metric: organic sales increased 3%, helped along by price increases. Luckily, sales volume didn't fare too badly; they were essentially flat.

Since the stock market bottomed in March of this year, it has been firing on all cylinders -- except for those in the auto industry who manufacture the most cylinders of course. This year has not been kind to them.

For months, many have been surprised at the rapid rise, given the level of unemployment. During this same period, Wall Streeters have been dancing up and down, looking forward to more bonuses.

As the number of unemployed has climbed and the period of same has lengthened, many have wondered how business could be improving during a time when the consumer (those still left) has transformed from spender to saver.

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

• Abbott Laboratories (NYSE: ABT) higher Q3 earnings topped expectations but revenue was in line.
• Advanced Micro Devices Inc. (NYSE: AMD) posted better-than-expected Q3 results, but shares sold off.
• Allegheny Technologies Inc. (NYSE: ATI) was downgraded on concerns about its Q4 guidance.
• Bank of America Corp. (NYSE: BAC) shares fell after it posted a deeper-than-expected quarterly loss.
• Citigroup Inc. (NYSE: C) fell victim to profit taking despite reporting better-than-expected earnings.
• CSX Corp. (NYSE: CSX) better-than-expected Q3 earnings sent shares higher, despite a decline in revenue.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) reported its third quarter figures this morning, and while the company managed to post better than expected earnings, its revenues were lower than analysts had expected.

Going into this morning's earnings report analysts had estimated J&J would earn $1.13 per share in the third quarter. The company was able to put up better than expected earnings results, saying it earned $1.20 per share in the quarter. But revenues disappointed. Analysts had forecast the company's revenues would be $15.22 billion in the quarter, but actual revenues were below estimates at $15.08 billion.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), the New Jersey-based health care giant, is scheduled to hold an analyst meeting to discuss its third quarter 2009 financial results Tuesday at 8:30 AM ET, hosted by CFO Dominic Caruso and others. You can catch the live broadcast of the meeting on the company's website.

During the three months that ended in September, Johnson & Johnson completed a biotech acquistion and announced a collaboration to combat the flu. Analysts surveyed by Thomson Reuters expect this dividend-paying company to report that net income fell three cents per share from a year ago to $1.13. Revenue for the period is expected to be 4.6% lower to $15.2 billion.

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ) closed at $61.74. JNJ is scheduled to report Q3 EPS and host an analyst meeting on October 13. JNJ October option implied volatility is at 19, November is at 17; below its 26-week average of 23, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement.

Intel (NYSE: INTC) closed at $20.17. INTC is expected to report Q3 EPS on October 13. INTC October option implied volatility is at 47, November is at 34; verses its 26-week average of 37, according to Track Data, suggesting decreasing price movement after EPS.

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

One of my wonderful friends, Ms. P, asked me for some guidance on how she might allocate $50,000 currently earning peanuts in a money market account. Though she is decades from becoming a grandmother, after a brief discussion about her financial parameters, it became clear to me that she was looking for a "granny fund."

In reality, my recommendations would be suitable, and perhaps desirable, for many passive investors as well.

The $50,000 is a portion of money Ms. P has set aside to purchase a home, which might happen in six months, but could also be pushed out further, depending on the economy and her situation. Basically, she wants to cover all her bases because she might need the money at any time and does not want to be caught short, while at the same time she would like to generate some revenue without taking any big risks.

Analyst upgrades:

• Barclays upgraded Dollar Tree (NASDAQ: DLTR) to Overweight from Equal Weight and raised its target to $64 from $48 following the better-than-expected Q2 report.
• Cowen upgraded Whirlpool (NYSE: WHR) to Outperform from Neutral. The firm cites stabilizing demand trends and recovering margins for the upgrade.
• Susquehanna upgraded Isle of Capri (NASDAQ: ISLE) citing weakness following the weak quarter. The firm, which has a $13 target on shares, expects regional operators to benefit from improving macro trends quicker than destination markets.
• Senior Housing (NYSE: SNH) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Wells Fargo.
• Barclays (NYSE: BCS) was upgraded to Outperform from Market Perform at Keefe Bruyette.
• CGI Group (NYSE: GIB) was upgraded to Buy from Speculative Buy at Canaccord.

Medtronic (NYSE: MDT), a manufacturer of a whole host of medical devices involved with the management of diabetes and cardiovascular disease, released its Q1 data on Tuesday. Revenues increased 6%, and adjusted earnings per share came in at 79 cents (some of the adjustments were related to restructuring and litigation issues).

The company was able to grow the adjusted-per-share bottom line by 10%. In addition, according to Reuters, Medtronic beat estimates by a penny. Shareholders should keep in mind, however, that the quarter benefited from an extra week.

One of the complaints we often hear is that the private insurance companies are gouging customers, second guessing doctors, and cutting corners at every turn to increase profit margins. A great deal of this is true and I would not debate that this dilutes the quality of health care in the United States.

Is the corollary that the government intends to run a health care program that does not make a profit?

That is a very probable outcome. If that is the case then how is it possible that the government will be able to fund something that is a money loser from the get go?

Money market accounts and certificates of deposit are safe, but they provide very little return on your investment. This fact, and the invigorated stock market, provoked one of my bankers, Dobrinka, at the local Santa Monica Wells Fargo branch, to ask for advice on how I would invest $25,000 if I was just starting out.

This is a common question although the starting point in terms of cash varies. It certainly makes a difference how old the person is, their general knowledge about investing and finance, and the particulars of their financial statement.

Here is what I suggested sticking to regular themes I have written about before and broadly speaking would be a conservative approach emphasizing safety, diversity, liquidity, dividends and the potential for growth far exceeding cash in the mattress or in a money market account. I also think that it is important for beginners to educate themselves so my suggestions include an educational aspect.

Analyst upgrades:

• Thomas Weisel upgraded PerkinElmer (NYSE: PKI) to Overweight from Market Weight on valuation as it sees limited downside to consensus estimates. The firm raised its target on shares to $20 from $18.
• Jefferies upgraded WuXi PharmaTech (NYSE: WX) to Hold from Underperform following the Q2 results as it believes the company's cross-selling strategy is paying off. The firm raised its target on shares to $12 from $5.
• FBR Capital upgraded J. Crew (NYSE: JCG) to Outperform from Market Perform to reflect the company's trend-right product, inventory control, unit growth, and strong management. The firm raised its target on shares to $36 from $25.
• Popular (NASDAQ: BPOP) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at B. Riley.
• Pan American Silver (NASDAQ: PAAS) was upgraded to Buy from Neutral at UBS.
• HearUSA (AMEX: EAR) was upgraded to Buy from Hold at Roth Capital.

Facebook is making the biggest ad splash since Google, according to an article in the Financial Times.

More than four-fifths of the largest advertisers in the United States have turned to the social networking platform to promote their wares -- after several years of fearing these types of communities. The lure of Facebook must have been too much to resist, with 340 million monthly unique visitors. Now, it's not unusual to see the likes of Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ), Nike (NYSE: NKE), and AT&T (NYSE: ATT) advertising in this world.