Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, construction and rail products manufacturer L.B. Foster (Nasdaq: FSTR) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

L.B. Foster facts

Headquarters (founded) Pittsburgh (1902)
Market Cap $280.2 million
Industry Industrial machinery
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $592.4 million
Management CEO Robert Bauer (since February 2012)
CFO David Russo (since July 2002)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 8%
Cash/Debt $67.8 million / $1.1 million
Dividend Yield 0.4%
Competitors Alstom SA
Amsted Industries
Greenbrier Companies

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

On CAPS, 94% of the 466 members who have rated L.B. Foster believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A few months ago, one of those Fools, Monroe7, brought L.B. Foster's solid fundamentals to our community's attention: "Almost no debt, revenue and earnings are going higher fast, dividend is sure to grow over the next couple years. This should be a solid stock to own for the long term."

If you want market-thumping returns, 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 its five-star rating, L.B. Foster 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.