Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, precious metals miner North American Palladium (NYSE: PAL) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

North American Palladium facts

Headquarters (founded) Toronto (1968)
Market Cap $318.3 million
Industry Precious metals and minerals
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $164.2 million
Management President/CEO William Biggar
CFO Jeffrey Swinoga
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) (15.8%)
Cash/Debt $23.4 million / $96.4 million
Competitors Anglo American Platinum
Stillwater Mining

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

On CAPS, 96% of the 1,121 members who have rated North American Palladium believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A few months ago, one of those bulls, dgarant, touched on the tailwinds working in the stock's favor:

[North American] auto demand soaring. Palladium prices rising, stock was hit unfairly in 2011 because of rare earth bubblish type losses. Stock fundamentals appear to be good. Electric cars will only represent 2% of automobiles on road by 2020. Demand for Palladium will be strong for a long time. Plus e-test regulation in [C]hina will become stricter in the future.

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 a strong four-star rating, North American Palladium may not be your top choice.

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Want to see how well (or not so well) the stocks in this series are performing? Follow the TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.