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.

Soft drink giant The Coca-Cola Company (NYSE: KO) will be reporting its third quarter numbers tomorrow before the market opens.

The last time that Coca-Cola reported earnings was back in July when the company beat out analyst estimates by 3 pennies with a reported 92 cents per share. For the third quarter, analysts are expecting to the see the company show earnings of 81 cents per share.

"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.

So far this has been a pretty decent earnings season, and soft drink giant PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) gets its turn to impress Wall Street tomorrow morning when it releases its second quarter numbers.

The company will be announcing its second quarter earnings before the market opens tomorrow, and analysts are expecting to see earnings of $1.00 a share from the world's second largest beverage maker. For the same period last year PepsiCo posted earnings of $1.03.

Forget the mantra about Pepsi's North American market's beverage and snack revenue being hurt, yada yada.

I'm Reiterating my Buy rating for PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) first recommended on March 13, 2009 at a price of $48.62.

Under the radar: Some trends are obvious enough and visible to all investors. Others are more-subtle, but are just as potent, and these often slip 'under the radar.'

Case in point: Lost among President Barack Obama's trip to Russia to meet with president Dmitry Medvedev and Prime Minister Vladimir Putin, was PepsiCo, Inc.'s (NYSE: PEP) decision to invest $1 billion in Russia over three years, on expectations for retail sales growth in the country.

When oil lost almost $3 a barrel, stock futures indicated a lower opening for today. Just shy of 5 AM, S&P 500, Down Jones, and Nasdaq 100 futures were all off 0.9%. The drop in oil to $64 a barrel has called into question any projections of a quick economic recovery -- as if high unemployment weren't enough. The Monday after any long weekend is hard, and this one's going to hurt.

The direction in which futures are pointing continues Thursday's equity declines in the United States, bringing the S&P 500 its third consecutive weekly loss. For the day, it lost 2.91%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 2.63% of its value, with the Nasdaq Composite Index giving up 2.67%. Year-to-date, the DJIA is down 5.6%, the S&P 500 down 0.8%.

Yes, you'd call this a selective market: select the wrong stock, and there's a 30-40% haircut up ahead. Select the correct stock, and you're positioned for the recovery with modest downside exposure. And with that in mind, PepsiCo, Inc. (NYSE: PEP) is worth a review.

The financial crisis and pronounced U.S. recession that has seen U.S. stock markets slide about 50% has not been kind to Pepsi, and that's part of the appeal here. Institutional investors punished shares from the $75-range in September 2008 to about $45.40 before bouncing, and they're in the $47-50 range now.

"PepsiCo (NYSE: PEP) Pepsi is about as dependable a company as there is and the stock would be an excellent anchor for most portfolios," says value investor Nathan Slaughter.

In his Half-Priced Stocks, he says, "All told, PepsiCo has built an impressive lineup of 18 brands that each generate more than $1 billion in annual sales."

"Long ago, management realized that carbonated drink sales would fizzle out and per-capita consumption would become sluggish. In their place, bottled water and sports drinks became two of the fastest-growing categories. And Pepsi is the dominant player in both, with its Aquafina and Gatorade brands.

"Meanwhile, energy drinks have emerged as the industry's hottest segment -- with sales soaring from $1.2 billion in 2002 to more than $6.6 billion last year. Again, Pepsi is well-represented with Amp.

In today's sports culture, there is a word that almost always piques the interest of the die-hard fan and the sports pop culture enthusiast as well. That word? Throwbacks. You know, when the New York Jets come out in the navy and gold of the New York Titans; the Cleveland Cavaliers ditch their current unis to wear the orange and blue made popular in the late 80s, the Cincinnati Reds ditch their current uni for the double knits of the Big Red Machine, it happens all over the sporting world. However, one place where I never thought I would hear of throwbacks is in the beverage world. Yes, the beverage world.

Today was almost as fitting as you could get for a Friday ahead of a 3-day weekend. It felt quiet and directionless, despite a huge late-day recovery just the day before. It was as if the markets had no serious direction ahead of a long weekend even though the stimulus package essentially looks like a done deal and even with banks halting all foreclosure activities for a brief period of time.

Here are today's unofficial closing bell levels:

Dow 7,849.13 -83.63 (-1.05%)
S&P 500 826.70 -8.49 (-1.02%)
Nasdaq 1,534.36 -7.35 (-0.48%)

10YR T-NOTE 2.88% (+0.12%)
Top Analyst Upgrades