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

Boeing facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Chicago, Ill. (1916)

Market Cap

$31.7 billion

Industry

Aerospace and Defense

TTM Revenue

$67.0 billion

Management

CEO James McNerney Jr. (since 2005)

CFO James Bell (since 2004)

Return on Capital (average last three years)

15.6%

Competitors

Lockheed Martin (NYSE:LMT),

Northrop Grumman (NYSE:NOC)

CAPS members bullish on BA also bullish on

Cisco Systems (NASDAQ:CSCO),

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)

CAPS members bearish on BA also bearish on

General Motors (NYSE:GM),

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)

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

Over on CAPS, fully 515 of the 591 All-Star members who have rated Boeing -- some 87% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include addaam78 and marc64, both of whom are ranked in the top 10% of our community.

In late May, addaam78 noted that the "carbon based 787 has a competitive advantage of 6 years against Airbus and makes Boeing the new leader of new carbon based jets for the future. With a backlog orders of 6 years and a good valuation I think it's a good bet."

A pitch from marc64 one month earlier shares that bullish attitude, writing:

BA's PEG is great, backlog of orders is great, earnings growth is spectacular.

While airlines are increasingly in the news as unviable (and this hurts airplane builders), the real problems remain fuel and fierce competition. Boeing's great business advantage is a new generation of jets that are 20% more fuel efficient (and I like that they can keep the air pressure inside the jet at a more comfortable level, making long trips much more bearable). At the same time, time is running out on whole fleets of jets that need to be replaced.

As the weakest airlines shake out, competition is reduced, and as oil prices go down (as the strengthening dollar makes oil seem cheaper), and as the oil producers lower their margins to nip cost-effective alternatives in the bud), BA will look like an increasingly great idea, and investors will pile on.

What do you think about Boeing, 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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