Ranking InvestorPlace’s 10 Best Stocks for 2012 Through Q2

See how our picks have panned out for the first half of the year

Jul 2, 2012, 5:15 am EDT | By Alyssa Oursler, InvestorPlace Assistant Editor

No. 4: FedEx

Q2 Return: Flat
YTD Return: +10%
Investor: Paul R. La Monica

Next comes Paul R. La Monica, who writes CNNMoney’s daily “The Buzz” column, and his pick: shipping giant FedEx (NYSE:FDX) — which he’s beating the S&P 500 with for now.

FedEx is a fundamentally strong, low-risk stock. And while it’s flat for the quarter after posting a poor forecast for the dog days of summer, FedEx stock still is going strong.

Last quarter wasn’t all bad, as adjusted earnings were up 14% and EPS of $1.99 beat analyst expectations. Competitor UPS (NYSE:UPS) also acquired European carrier TNT Express, but that could actually help FedEx by giving the entire industry a boost and letting the company raise prices.

FedEx might not be booming, but it’s putting in a solid effort with a slow-and-steady effort — just like Paul expected.