Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, short-line railroad operator RailAmerica (NYSE: RA) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

RailAmerica facts

Headquarters (founded) Jacksonville, Fla. (1985)
Market Cap $1.2 billion
Industry Railroads
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $569.6 million
Management CEO John Giles (since 2007)
CFO B. Clyde Preslar (since 2008)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 0.9%
Cash/Debt $98.5 million / $655.9 million
Competitors Genesee & Wyoming
OmniTRAX
Watco Cos.

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

On CAPS, 96% of the 110 members who have rated RailAmerica believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just yesterday, one of those Fools, NHWeston102, tapped management's recent consideration of a potential sale as a bonus to the RailAmerica bull case:

Betting on the buyout has a logic all its own, but this little collections of shortline railroads has a lot else going for it. They serve many neglected areas that contribute to freight commodities not covered by the powerhouse lines. In bad times, they can always sell off a piece or two to ambitious locals and make money. A buyout baron will think the same thing -- that the parts are worth more than the whole.

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