Stocks hitting fresh highs can either signal that a stock is on its way to greatness or that it has run its course. Even with the risk of the latter, searching for these outperformers can reveal companies that are doing something right, much to their investors' delight.

I'm a poet and did not know it
With that in mind, we'll use the aggregate intelligence of the 110,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS to find stocks hitting 52-week highs today. The community's approval (those with four- and five-star ratings) could be a sign that further research is in order.

Here are three such stocks:

 

Today's High

Industry

CAPS Rating

Fools Saying Outperform

Research

Amedisys (NASDAQ:AMED)

$55.86

Health services

*****

690 of 703

Research

Southern Copper (NYSE:PCU)

$33.89

Metals and mining

*****

3,482 of 3,612

Research

Wabtec (NYSE:WAB)

$52.01

Transportation

*****

345 of 350

Research

Source: Motley Fool CAPS, as of July 14, 2008.

Other five-star metals and mining companies

Cameco (NYSE:CCJ) -- stock price is 20.1% cheaper than a year ago

Sterlite Industries India (ADR) (NYSE:SLT) -- stock price is 13.5% cheaper than a year ago

Other five-star transportation companies

Union Pacific (NYSE:UNP) -- stock is up 20.7% in past year

Trinity Industries (NYSE:TRN) -- stock price is 32.4% cheaper than a year ago

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