Every day, the sun rises on Wall Street, and a plethora of professional analysts wake to issue new opinions on stocks. Here at the Fool, we use our "This Just In" column to examine some of these picks-- and the track records of the firms behind them -- so individuals can make better investing decisions.

In addition to following professional banks, anyone can use Motley Fool CAPS to monitor the collective opinions of more than 120,000 members, many of whom demonstrate better investing insight than published analysts do.

Enough top-performing CAPS members have turned bullish on IBM (NYSE:IBM) recently to upgrade it from its long-held three-star rank to a more formidable four stars. A total of 3,041 members have weighed in on IBM, with many of them offering analysis and commentary explaining the recent optimism.

Many CAPS investors think IBM has many advantages today. First, the dividend that it pays, like other large, stable companies like AT&T (NYSE:T) and Unilever (NYSE:UL), makes a good foundation for a solid portfolio.

Many also believe IBM will benefit from the economic downturn by helping clients integrate computer systems as more companies merge or downsize. A large portion of its business goes to helping companies become more efficient, and demand has been growing as companies focus more on cutting costs. The technology stalwart has also shown the ability to adapt and stay ahead of long-term trends, rather than simply withering away in the economic downturn.

IBM also continues to be sought out for outsourced services; it recently picked up an eight-year, $873 million contract with the state of Georgia, with the assistance of subcontractors Dell (NASDAQ:DELL) and Xerox (NYSE:XRX). And financial results speak loudly -- third-quarter profits grew by 22% and revenue came in at $25.3 billion, up 5% over last year. It has continued to create value and grow return on invested capital by 18.1% over the trailing 12 months, pushing ahead while others like Intel (NASDAQ:INTC) and Sun Microsystems (NASDAQ:JAVA) are having a tough time. No wonder, then, that nearly 89% of the 3,041 CAPS members rating IBM expect it to outperform the market.

To see what the very best CAPS analysts are saying now about IBM -- as well as other winning stocks they are picking -- head on over to CAPS and have a look.

More Foolishness: