Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, medical-device maker Becton, Dickinson and Company (BDX -1.43%) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Becton Dickinson facts

Headquarters (founded)

Franklin Lakes, N.J. (1897)

Market Cap

$17.4 billion

Industry

Health care equipment

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$7.8 billion

Management

Chairman/CEO Vincent Forlenza
Acting CFO Suketu Upadhyay

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

23.9%

Cash/Debt

$2.5 billion / $4.2 billion

Dividend Yield

2.2%

Competitors

Abbott Labs
Baxter International
Covidien

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 1,168 members who have rated Becton Dickinson believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Earlier this month, one of those Fools, bloomr, succinctly summed up the Becton Dickinson bull case for our community: "The population is getting older. ... Diabetes is an epidemic. Everybody hates needles, but [Becton Dickinson] has been a leader for years with a consistently solid dividend yield to boot."

If you want market-thumping returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Of course, despite a strong five-star rating, Becton Dickinson may not be your top choice.

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