5 All-Star Stocks

Win or lose, we've all got an opinion about which stocks are rockets and which are dogs. If we could invest like Peter Lynch or Mohnish Pabrai, we'd probably have a lot more companies in our win column than on the loss side of the ledger. Warren Buffett began buying railroads last year, and just about any company that ran on tracks came into play.

So when top-notch investors back a stock, you might want to give it more consideration. Over on the investor collaboration site Motley Fool CAPS, we can do just that. On CAPS, players who've earned a rating of 80 or better by consistently outperforming their peers are dubbed All-Stars. Sometimes, these ace investors will back a stock that others think is a dog. Considering the All-Stars' track records, we might want to look a little more closely at their selections.

Here are five companies that have been marked down by some investors, but enjoy unanimous All-Star backing:

Of course, this isn't a list of stocks to buy and sell; instead, it should serve as a starting point for your own research and analysis.

Almost home
According to the U.S. Administration on Aging, the population of Americans 65 years or older numbered 37.3 million in 2006 (the latest year for which data is available). They represented 12.4% of the U.S. population, or about one in every eight Americans. By 2030, there will be about 71.5 million older people, more than twice their number in 2000. Where individuals 65 and up represented 12.4% of the population in the year 2000, they are expected to grow to 20% of the population by 2030.

Someone will need to assist in caring for the graying American population, and that's where Almost Family comes in. They are a regional provider of in-home health nursing services on an as-needed, hourly, or live-in basis. Among the services provided are personal care, medication management, meal preparation, caregiver respite, and homemaking. Rivals like Amedisys (Nasdaq: AMED) and Gentiva (Nasdaq: GTIV) have been able to make profitable runs in the same sector.

Yet it's the population demographics that attract investors like CAPS player karuption to Almost Family:

A good play for a company destined to split before it takes a correction. As the population ages so will the need arise for health care away from the home. Traditional family structures will not support the aged to live at home thru-out there last days. A quality care facility will be necessary. This company provides much needed facilities for the long term care of elder people.

Providing a necessary service has helped Almost Family enjoy steady revenue and earnings growth, as another CAPS investor, Mihaul, points out:

Impressive revenue growth exceeded the industry average of 5.8%. The company has demonstrated a pattern of positive earnings per share growth over the past two years. During the past fiscal year, ALMOST FAMILY INC increased its bottom line by earning $0.80/share versus $0.56/s in the prior year.

Strong earnings growth of 76.47% and other important driving factors. this stock has surged by 89.71% over the past year, outperforming the rise in the S&P 500 Index during the same period.

CAPS All-Star britpick, who has a 95.53 player rating, finds the company virtually immune to potential changes in health-care policy that may also arise:

Intuitively seems like a safe pick for the long term, for all the obvious boomer reasons, and likely to be serving a growing niche in the market. I know there are some concerns around any changes in Health Care policy that may come about. I believe that Almost Family is largely immune to those changes, as the name says this is about family and providing the right care and support, importantly in the persons own home. We have a lot at stake in our homes these days and do not want to give up that security and equity to fritter away on paying for residential care.

An all-star act
Although a few CAPS investors have bet against the house here, we haven't yet heard from you. Why not head over to Motley Fool CAPS now and let us know what you think about these and your other favorite investments? It's completely free, and you -- along with the other 100,000 investors there -- may help uncover the next All-Star Stock.