Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, office products retailer Staples (Nasdaq: SPLS) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Staples facts

Founded (founded) Framingham, Mass. (1986)
Market Cap $8.7 billion
Industry Specialty stores
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $25.0 billion
Management Chairman/CEO Ronald Sargent
President/COO Michael Miles
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 12.9%
Cash/Debt $1.2 billion / $2.0 billion
Dividend Yield 3.5%
Competitors Amazon.com
Office Depot
OfficeMax

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

On CAPS, 92% of the 1,017 members who have rated Staples believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.  

Earlier this month, one of those bulls, wbinv2100, succinctly summed up the Staples bull case for our community:

Second largest online retailer, without the Amazon valuation. Unique model of box stores, online retailing, and sales force. Nice branding and advertising with the "Staple Button". Shows me the money in a hyper competitive environment and one of the worst economy in years.

If you want market-beating 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 four-star rating, Staples may not be your top choice.

We've found another retailer 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.

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