Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, natural gas and oil producer Apache (APA -1.26%) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Apache facts

Headquarters (founded)

Houston (1954)

Market Cap

$31.4 billion

Industry

Oil and gas exploration and production

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$16.6 billion

Management

Chairman/CEO G. Steven Farris

President/COO Rodney Eichler

Return on Equity (average, past three years)

12.4%

Cash/Debt

$184 million / $12.8 billion

Dividend Yield

1%

Competitors

Anadarko Petroleum

BP

ExxonMobil

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

On CAPS, 97% of the 2,177 members who have rated Apache believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.   

Earlier this week, one of those Fools, financialorbit, tapped Apache as a particularly attractive bargain opportunity:

Underappreciated range of oil/gas assets from which they are generating far superior production growth than their large cap peers. Issues in Egypt, where they have some production, have clouded investor judgment when actually the company is continuing to move forward well. Increasingly aware of shareholder value requirements via sale of peripheral assets.