Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, fiber-based laser and amplifier maker IPG Photonics (IPGP 0.32%) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

IPG facts

Headquarters (founded)

Oxford, Mass. (1990)

Market Cap

$3.1 billion

Industry

Electronic manufacturing services

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$541.0 million

Management

Founder/Chairman/CEO Dr. Valentin Gapontsev

CFO Timothy Mammen

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

22.1%

Cash/Debt

$372.6 million / $21.8 million

Competitors

Coherent (COHR)

Rofin-Sinar Technologies (RSTI)

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 1,476 members who have rated IPG believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A couple of months ago, one of those bulls, csqrd, succinctly summed up the IPG bull case for our community:

Strong competitive lead in fiber lasers which provide industrial applications with efficiency improvements over traditional lasers. Growing market and best technology. Over 20% [return on equity] and low debt which provides leverage to take advantage of additional opportunities in technology improvements and adjacent markets.

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, IPG 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.