Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, steel giant Nucor (NYSE: NUE) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Nucor's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Nucor facts

Headquarters (founded) Charlotte, N.C. (1940)
Market Cap $13.0 billion
Industry Steel
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $20.0 billion
Management CEO Daniel DiMicco (since 2000)
CFO James Frias (since 2010)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 3.8%
Cash/Debt $2.6 billion / $4.3 billion
Dividend Yield 3.5%
Competitors ArcelorMittal
Commercial Metals
United States Steel

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 96% of the 2,232 members who have rated Nucor believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A couple of months ago, one of those Fools, divinezone, listed several of Nucor's positives:

- Nucor has a history of continuous innovation technologically, stylistically, and managerially.
- Committed to high-quality steel products at competitive prices, the company still boasts strong financials.
- Positioned to rebound in a big way when construction improves. In fact, recent figures suggest higher-than-expected seasonal improvement, which may indicate the initial stages of an upward trend. ...
- Nucor is the largest U.S. steelmaker; it benefits from being the main player in an oligopolistic market. The resultant pricing power is a sustainable competitive advantage.
- Recent moves to become more vertically integrated should help the company's long-term returns.

Of course, despite its four-star rating, Nucor may not be your top choice. If that's the case, we've compiled a special free report for investors called "3 American Companies Set to Dominate the World," which uncovers a few other U.S. plays with big potential. The report is 100% free, but it won't be around forever, so click here to access it now.

Want to see how well (or not so well) the stocks in this series are performing? Follow the new TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.