5 Best Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, express delivery gorilla FedEx (NYSE: FDX  ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at FedEx, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

FedEx facts

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Headquarters (founded)

Memphis, Tenn. (1971)

Market Cap

$31.7 billion

Industry

Air freight and logistics

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

Best Industrial Conglomerate Companies For 2015: Syntroleum Corporation(SYNM)

Syntroleum Corporation and its subsidiaries engage in commercializing and licensing its Syntroleum technologies to produce synthetic liquid hydrocarbons. Its Syntroleum process involves conversion of carbon containing material into synthesis gas; and conversion of the synthesis gas or coal-derived or biomass-derived syngas into hydrocarbons. The company also develops the Synfining Process technology for the conversion of Fischer-Tropsch wax into various products, including diesel fuels, jet fuels, lubricants, naphtha, and other materials. In addition, it offers the Bio-Synfining technology, a second generation renewable fuels technology that is feedstock flexible, including the use of vegetable oils, fats, fatty acids, and greases. Syntroleum Corporation was founded in 1984 and is based in Tulsa, Oklahoma.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By John Udovich]

  Small cap biofuel or synthetic fuel stocks Gevo, Inc (NASDAQ: GEVO), KiOR Inc (NASDAQ: KIOR), Solazyme Inc (NASDAQ: SZYM) and Syntroleum Corp (NASDAQ: SYNM) all seem to have been seeing some trading action in recent days���meaning its worth taking a closer look at all four�before taking a look at their rather dismal�long term performance while noting that none are yet profitable:

5 Best Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: China Ceramics Co. Ltd.(CCCL)

China Ceramics Co., Ltd. engages in the manufacture and sale of ceramic tiles used for exterior siding, interior flooring, and design in residential and commercial buildings primarily in the People's Republic of China. It offers porcelain tiles, glazed tiles, glazed porcelain tiles, rustic tiles, and ultra-thin tiles under the Hengda, Hengdeli, TOERTO, and WULIQIAO brand names. The company primarily sells its products through a distributor network, as well as directly to property developers. China Ceramics Co., Ltd. is based in Jinjiang City, the People's Republic of China.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Lisa Levin]

  China Ceramics Co (NASDAQ: CCCL) shares fell 2.40% to touch a new 52-week low of $1.63. China Ceramics shares have dropped 35.27% over the past 52 weeks, while the S&P 500 index has gained 19.70% in the same period.

5 Best Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Steinway Musical Instruments Inc. (LVB)

Steinway Musical Instruments, Inc., through its subsidiaries, designs, manufactures, markets, and distributes musical instruments in the United States and internationally. The company operates in two segments, Pianos and Band & Orchestral Instruments. The Pianos segment offers pianos under Steinway & Sons, Boston, and Essex brands; and engages in online music retailing business. This segment sells its products to professional artists and amateur pianists, and institutions through independent dealers primarily in the United States, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, France, and Italy. It operates six retail showrooms in the United States and five retail showrooms in Europe. The Band & Orchestral Instruments segment manufactures and sells piccolos, flutes, clarinets, oboes, bassoons, trumpets, French horns, tubas, and trombones, as well as intermediate and professional level woodwind and brass instruments under Bach, Selmer, Selmer Paris, C.G. Conn, Leblanc, King, Armstrong, Holton, Yanagisawa, Vito, Emerson, Avanti, Noblet, Artley, and Benge brands; distributes saxophones and clarinets; manufactures and distributes acoustical and tuned percussion instruments, including outfit drums, marching drums, concert drums, marimbas, xylophones, vibraphones, orchestra bells, and chimes; distributes violins, violas, cellos, and basses under Glaesel, Scherl & Roth, and William Lewis & Son brands; and manufactures mouthpieces and distributes accessories, such as music stands, batons, mallets, straps, mutes, reeds, pads, chin rests, strings, bows, cases, and instrument care products. This segment sells its products to students, amateur and professional musicians, and institutions through independent musical instrument dealers and distributors primarily in the United States, Europe, Latin America, and Asia. The company, formerly known as Selmer Industries, Inc., was founded in 1993 and is based in Waltham, Massachusetts.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Eric Volkman]

  Steinway Musical Instruments (NYSE: LVB  ) has ceased to be the owner of its iconic Steinway Hall in New York City. The company formally closed a deal to sell the building to a partnership headed by real estate concern JDS Development Group. Steinway received $46.3 million in the acquisition, and will recognize a taxable gain of roughly $22 million.

5 Best Logistics Stocks To Own For 2014: Banco Santander S.A.(STD)

Banco Santander, S.A. provides a range of banking and financial products. It accepts customer demand, time, and notice deposits, and international and domestic interbank deposits, as well as offers auto financing, personal loans, and credit cards; and automated cash dispensers, savings books updaters, telephone banking services, and electronic and Internet banking services. The company also engages corporate banking, treasury, and investment banking activities. It provides transaction banking services in cash management, trade finance, and basic financing; and corporate finance services for mergers and acquisitions, and asset and capital structuring, as well as involves in the origination activities and risk management, and distribution of structured products and debt in the credit markets; structuring and trading activities in financial markets of interest rate and exchange rate instruments; and activities relating to the equity markets. In addition, it engages in the des ign and management of mutual and pension funds, and life and general insurance products. The company operates primarily in Spain, the United Kingdom, other European countries, Brazil and other Latin American countries, and the United States. As of December 31, 2010, it had 6,063 branch offices in continental Europe; 1,416 branches in the United Kingdom; 5,882 branches in Latin America; and 721 branches in the United States. The company was formerly known as Banco Santander Central Hispano S.A. and changed its name to Banco Santander, S.A. in June 2007. Banco Santander, S.A. was founded in 1857 and is based in Madrid, Spain.

Advisors' Opinion:

• [By Holly LaFon]

  Charlie: Yes, I have a question. Do you think the opportunity is more in stocks or in debt, or both? If you look at Spain, the biggest companies in Spain, one is a bank, Bank Santander (STD). The other is Telefonica (TEF), a phone company. What other opportunities do you see there?

• [By Chandan Dubey]

  This article will describe what a bank does. Then we will move on to reading the balance sheet of a bank. As an example, I take the balance sheet of one of my holdings, Banco Santander (STD).