Historically, tumultuous times offer some of the best opportunities to buy stocks, and the market's recent mess surely qualifies. Investors are finding it harder to get excited about many stocks, but many think home improvement retailer Lowe's (NYSE:LOW) is looking at better days ahead.

In our Motley Fool CAPS community, 87% of the 2,238 investors rating the company are bullish, so there's no shortage of reasons why Lowe's will thrive, three of which I've highlighted below.

But here at the Fool, we're all for looking at both the good and the bad sides of an investment. Once you're done with this article, you can read the case against the stock, weigh in with your own comments below, or rate Lowe's yourself in CAPS.

1. Growth
Lowe's is the world's second-largest home improvement retailer. In addition to building on its early success in Canada, it's making a move to grow outside of North America, with its sights set on Australia, a market that impressive big-box retailer Costco (NASDAQ:COST) recently entered. Lowe's will join Australia's top food retailer Woolworths in opening stores there to tap into a $20 billion home improvement market.

2. Solid standing
Some CAPS members believe Lowe's solid financial standing leaves it in good position to pick up market share when the economy recovers. Goldman Sachs says it sees  some positive signs for Lowe's and even competitor Home Depot (NYSE:HD). The company's cost-cutting in the third quarter helped operating margins and could help more sales flow to the bottom line in future quarters.    

3. Optimistic outlook
Although the housing market still has many challenges ahead, with homebuilders such as Lennar (NYSE:LEN), Pulte Homes (NYSE:PHM), and Toll Brothers (NYSE:TOL) waiting for a recovery, Lowe's has experienced signs of stabilization recently. Management sees potential for more consumer confidence this year, which could spur more projects, and some analysts think President Obama's proposed "Cash for Caulkers" program could boost sales for Lowe's and even insulation makers like Dow Chemical (NYSE:DOW).                                      

To see details of what CAPS members are saying now about Lowe's, just click on over to Motley Fool CAPS and have a look -- or add your own thoughts directly to this story in the comments box below.