Based on the aggregated intelligence of 115,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, International Coal Group (NYSE:ICO) 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 International Coal's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

International Coal facts 

Headquarters (Founded)

Scott Depot, West Virginia (2004)

Market Cap

$1.10 billion

Industry

Industrial Metals and Minerals

TTM Revenue

$942.60 million

Management

CEO Bennett Hatfield (since 2005)
CFO Bradley Harris (since 2006)

Competitors

Massey Energy (NYSE:MEE)
Alpha Natural Resources (NYSE:ANR)

CAPS members bullish on ICO also bullish on

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)
Vale (NYSE:RIO)

CAPS members bearish on ICO also bearish on

James River Coal (NASDAQ:JRCC)
First Solar (NASDAQ:FSLR)

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

Over on CAPS, fully 574 of the 596 members who have rated International Coal -- some 96% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bullish CAPS contributors include squirrelyguy and chitownjester.

In July, squirrelyguy brought the stock's sliding price to our community's attention:

There was no substantial reason for coal stocks to fall this much at the start of the quarter. The same factors that caused them to skyrocket over the 2nd quarter are still in place right now. ... This is a hot stock that just went on sale and I'm sticking with it.

An earlier pitch from chitownjester in April shares that bullish sentiment, elaborating on the fundamentals that make it an apparent bargain:

Not coal- METALLURGICAL GRADE COAL. Big difference. You need met coal to do things like make ...  steel, which the global economy is demanding a lot of these days. These guys have a whole lot of it. Also doesn't hurt to have favorable structural costs relative to competitors and a proven owner/investor in Will Ross running the show.

What do you think about International Coal, 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; why not get started?