Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, water industry equipment specialist Xylem
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Xylem's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Xylem facts
| Headquarters (founded) | White Plains, N.Y. (1995) |
| Market Cap | $5.2 billion |
| Industry | Industrial machinery |
| Trailing-12-Month Revenue | $3.8 billion |
| Management | CEO Gretchen McClain CFO Michael Speetzen |
| Trailing-12-Month Return on Equity | 12.3% |
| Cash/Debt | $318.0 million / $1.2 billion |
| Dividend Yield | 1.4% |
| Competitors |
Flowserve Pentair SPX Flow Technology |
Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.
On CAPS, all 44 members who have rated Xylem believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.
Just last month, one of those Fools, youngblood58, touched on the strong tailwinds working in Xylem's favor:
Water is our most precious commodity, and yet many people don't realize how commoditized it will become as the world's population explodes and the demand for potable water increases. In fact, it will definitely be a crisis of the 21st Century [in my opinion].
This company is a good "one-stop shop" in terms of water purification, production, distribution, etc. and I am investing in it as a long term strategy.
If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future. Of course, despite a strong five-star rating, Xylem may not be your top choice.
We've found another stock we are incredibly excited about -- excited enough to dub it "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012." We have compiled a special free report for investors to uncover this stock today. The report is 100% free, but it won't be here 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.
