Based on the aggregated intelligence of 115,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Chinese solar-wafer maker LDK Solar (NYSE:LDK) 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 LDK Solar's business, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

LDK Solar facts 

   

Headquarters (Founded)

Xinyu City, China (2005)

Market Cap

$5.25 billion

Industry

Semiconductors

TTM Revenue

$1.03 billion

Management

Founder/CEO Xiaofeng Peng

COO Xingxue Tong

Major Competitors

MEMC Electronic Materials (NYSE:WFR)

ReneSola (NYSE:SOL)

CAPS members bullish on LDK also bullish on

Suntech Power (NYSE:STP)

First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR)

CAPS members bearish on LDK also bearish on

SunPower (NASDAQ:SPWR)

Solarfun Power Holdings (NASDAQ:SOLF)

Sources: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, and Motley Fool CAPS. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over on CAPS, fully 243 of 263 of the All-Star members who have rated LDK Solar -- some 93% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These members include darkgoody and blade5adj, both of whom are ranked in the top 17% of our community.

In September 2007, darkgoody wrote:

"Solar in China seems like a no-brainer. With pollution knocking 3 % off of annual growth and power demand skyrocketing, China will have to adopt a more diverse portfolio of energy supplies to keep up (and to keep their people alive). Also note Hu's interest in 'Green Economy'."

A more recent pitch from blade5adj in March followed that bullish line of reasoning, highlighting LDK's pleasing position within the value chain:

Although I'm a bit wary about its Chinese origin (they're not exactly known for their free market thinking and free information), since this company is more involved with manufacturing and serving as a middleman between raw materials and vendors, I feel like if it can keep ahead of the curve it can remain a strong competitor and a serious growth stock. ... [L]ook to fluctuations in silicon prices to push down margins in the short term. Rising commodity prices such as oil should prove to be a boon for this stock as well though.

What do you think about LDK Solar, 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.