Based on the aggregated intelligence of 115,000 investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL ) has earned a respected four-star ranking. While five-star stocks have been the best performers, our data has shown that four-star stocks still outshine the market by a significant margin and shouldn't be taken lightly; conversely, low-rated stocks have woefully lagged the market average.
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Apple's business, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Apple facts
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Headquarters (Founded)
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Cupertino, Calif. (1976)
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Market Cap
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$157.80 billion
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Industry
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Computer Hardware
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TTM Revenue
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$30.88 billion
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Management
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Co-Founder & CEO Steve Jobs
CFO Peter Oppenheimer
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Return on Equity (avg. last three years)
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26.2%
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CAPS members bullish on AAPL also bullish on
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Microsoft (Nasdaq: MSFT )
Cisco Systems (Nasdaq: CSCO )
General Electric (NYSE: GE )
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CAPS members bearish on AAPL also bearish on
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Research In Motion (Nasdaq: RIMM )
Dell (Nasdaq: DELL )
General Motors (NYSE: GM )
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Sources: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, and Motley Fool CAPS. TTM = trailing 12 months.
Over on CAPS, fully 3,551 of the 3,743 All-Star members who have rated Apple -- some 95% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These All-Star bulls include bizman12 and wcool323, both of whom are ranked in the top 5% of our community.
In February, bizman12 reminded our community that Apple:
... is one of the most innovative tech companies today. Their products and their commercials all make you want to buy their stuff whether you need it or not. I have used Macs in my business for 20 years and they only get better. This is a stock to put in your IRA, tuck it away and forget about it.
A more recent pitch from sandvig two months ago followed that bullish line of thinking, emphasizing Apple's long-term durability:
There's no doubt about there being a sustained energy and enthusiasm for Apple products. The folks at Apple know this for a fact, and they are looking to do bigger and better things at this company, and will increase market share in all areas of their business, I think starting with 3G. I think Apple is a long term pick, and I mean long term, with a very high return potential. Not to worry, this isn't some fly-by-night company that will disappear into the ether anytime soon.
What do you think about Apple, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 115,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.
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