Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, health care giant Abbott Laboratories (ABT 0.42%) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Abbott facts

Headquarters (founded)

Abbott Park, Ill. (1888)

Market Cap

$102.5 billion

Industry

Drug manufacturers

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$39.4 billion

Management

Chairman/CEO Miles White (since 1999)
CFO Thomas Freyman (since 2001)

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

22.3%

Cash/Debt

$11.5 billion / $16.3 billion

Dividend Yield

3.1%

Competitors

Johnson & Johnson (JNJ 0.38%)Merck (MRK -0.11%)Sanofi (SNY 1.06%)

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

On CAPS, 96% of the 2,643 members who have rated Abbott believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just yesterday, one of those Fools, EVplusEV, brought a couple of catalysts to our community's attention:

Catalyst #1: [Abbott] presenting at the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases ... look for positive reports on its Hep C program. Catalyst #2: Splitting into two companies sometime after the first of the year; one pharma and one medical technology. Stock is down over 9% from the highs and with these catalysts, I'm in this on a trade with a target of $71 per share.

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 its five-star rating, Abbott 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.