Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, U.S. auto giant Ford Motor (NYSE: F) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Ford facts

Headquarters (founded) Dearborn, Mich. (1903)
Market Cap $42.9 billion
Industry Automobile manufacturers
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $135.6 billion
Management President/CEO Alan Mulally (since September 2006)
CFO Robert Shanks (since April 2012)
Return on Capital (average, past 3 years) 3.8%
Cash/Debt $22.7 billion / $99.5 billion
Dividend Yield 1.7%
Competitors Chrysler Group
General Motors
Toyota Motor

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

On CAPS, 80% of the 11,757 members who have rated Ford believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A few weeks ago, one of those Fools, dneedle1, tapped Ford as a particularly tempting bargain pick:

Ford, like its older brother GM, is hugely undervalued. As Ford's profits increase in the US it will begin to pay down its hefty debt load, providing a nice boost to both earnings and its P/E ratio, as the market stops obsessing over Ford's debt. Europe will take time, but will eventually straighten itself out, while the US is going to have demand of nearly 15 million cars this year and probably 16 next year and more in 2014.

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 four-star rating, Ford 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 TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.