When a stock hits a fresh low, it can either signal a dirt cheap dream stock or a dreadful stock to avoid. Separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult, but finding well-run companies at bargain-basement prices is a great way to accumulate a fortune over the long run.

With that in mind, we'll use the aggregate intelligence of the 110,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS to see what the community is saying about stocks hitting 52-week lows today. The community's approval (signified by four- and five-star ratings) could be a sign that further research is in order.

Here are three such stocks:

 

Today’s Low

Industry

CAPS Rating (out of 5)

Fools Saying Outperform

Research

NuStar Energy L.P. (NYSE:NS)

$42.20

Energy

*****

257 of 265

Research

Macquarie Infrastructure Company LLC (NYSE:MIC)

$20.52

Wholesale

****

225 of 239

Research

LG Philips LCD Co., Ltd. (ADR) (NYSE:LPL)

$14.72

Electronics

****

195 of 215

Research

Source: Motley Fool CAPS, as of July 18, 2008

Other Five-Star Wholesale Companies
MSC Industrial Direct Co., Inc. (NYSE:MSM) – stock price is 13.8% cheaper than last year.
KHD Humboldt Wedag International Limited (NYSE:KHD) – stock price is 17% cheaper than last year.

Other Five-Star Electronics Companies
L-3 Communications Holdings, Inc. (NYSE:LLL) – stock price is 11.4% cheaper than last year.
Atheros Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATHR) – stock price is 2.3% cheaper than last year.

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