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:

 Company

Today’s Low

Industry

CAPS Rating

Fools Saying Outperform

Global Industries (NASDAQ:GLBL)

$11.51

Energy

*****

589 of 609

Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS)

$42.47

Computer Software & Services

***

1599 of 1771

Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN)

$35.10

Electronics

****

4851 of 5128

Source: Motley Fool CAPS, as of July 30, 2008.

Other five-star energy companies:

  • Chesapeake Energy (NYSE:CHK): Up 40.5% in the past year.
  • XTO Energy (NYSE:XTO): Up 6.8% in the past year.

Five-star computer software and services companies:

  • Cognizant Technology Solutions (NASDAQ:CTSH): Stock price is 31.8% cheaper than last year.
  • Autodesk (NASDAQ:ADSK): Stock price is 24.4% cheaper than last year.

Join us on CAPS to learn more about these and countless other interesting stock ideas.