Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, food industry waste recycler Darling International (NYSE: DAR) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Darling facts

Headquarters (founded) Irving, Texas (1882)
Market Cap $1.9 billion
Industry Waste management
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $1.8 billion
Management Chairman/CEO Randall Stuewe
Co-COO Martin Griffin
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 17.4%
Cash/Debt $38.9 million / $280.0 million
Dividend Yield 0%
Competitors Baker Commodities
Restaurant Technologies
SANIMAX USA

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 1,120 members who have rated Darling believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.  

Just last week, one of those Fools, All-Star marc64, touched on the trends working in Darling's favor:

I want to watch this, partly out of hopeful idealism, partly because they are a player in a niche that should be able to increasingly pay its way in its economic eco-system. ... [E]xpectations for a good 2013 makes this a longer term watch.

Basically, I expect macro "grow out of trouble" policies to be reality-challenged -- to be replaced by respect for industrial scale efficiency: reuse, recycle strategies that show profits. If we don't do a better job of managing food waste, we are cooked.

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