Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, premium spirits specialist Beam (NYSE: BEAM) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Beam facts

Headquarters (Founded) Deerfield, Ill. (1904)
Market Cap $8.4 billion
Industry Distillers and vintners
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $7.4 billion
Management CEO Matthew Shattock
CFO Robert Probst
Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) 5.7%
Dividend Yield 1.5%
Competitors Brown-Forman
Diageo
Pernod Ricard

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 84 members who have rated Beam believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Late last year, one of those Fools, All-Star InvestWhatWorks, highlighted Beam as a refreshing opportunity:

Beam, Inc is the 4th largest premium-spirits company in the world, the 2nd largest in the United States and Australia and the largest US-based premium-spirits company. The liquor industry is a defensive-industry. People buy liquor in good times and bad; in good economics and bad economies. And Beam has recently become a pure-play company in this defensive-industry. ...

There are two main plays with Beam. The first is Beam as an emerging-market play. The second is Beam as a potential takeover play. ...

And should Beam not be acquired, the stock should still be owned. The company pays a decent dividend, the balance sheet is strong and the company has great growth prospects.

What do you think about Beam, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!

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