When large caps make a run for it, Fools pay attention.

Think of Microsoft. After years of poor performance, Mr. Softy and his $300-billion-plus market cap began making a move over the summer, enriching investors who bought and stayed in.

Hence this column. For as much money as there is to be made in fast-movers like Pharmion (NASDAQ:PHRM), which hit a new 52-week high yesterday, the turtle often beats the hare. Here's a look at Monday's finest terrapins, courtesy of The Wall Street Journal:

Company

Closing Price

CAPS Rating (out of 5)

% Change

52-Week Range

State Street (NYSE:STT)

$76.18

*

0.73%

$59.13-$80.01

Aflac (NYSE:AFL)

$61.00

*****

0.56%

$43.34-$63.25

Constellation Energy (NYSE:CEG)

$97.71

****

0.44%

$66.01-$98.96

Tyco Electronics (NYSE:TEL)

$35.05

***

0.09%

$31.31-$41.28

United Parcel Service (NYSE:UPS)

$71.96

****

(0.07%)

$68.66-$79.72

Sources: The Wall Street Journal, Yahoo! Finance, Motley Fool CAPS.

Shares of our top gainer, financier State Street, were up for reasons not yet reported. So be it. We Fools prefer buy-to-hold stock stories anyway. Are any of our large-cap leaders worth owning over the next three to five years?

Most of them, yes -- if you believe the 74,000-plus professional and amateur stock pickers in our Motley Fool CAPS community. But a top star rating isn't always a bullish indicator. If it were,  Apple, which has spent much of its life in CAPS as a two-star stock, would have long ago had a five-star rating.

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So let's eschew the five-star stocks here. They're too obvious. Not so with UPS, which gets four stars and an endorsement from both Warren Buffett and the team at Motley Fool Income Investor.

But UPS already had the spotlight a week ago, thanks to a beautifully wrapped third-quarter report. So, we move on to Tyco Electronics, a spinoff of Inside Value recommendation Tyco International (NYSE:TYC).

It's a deeply undervalued business, argues CAPS investor holyemo. Quoting:

Although the company weighed in out-of-the-gate with a loss, the bulk of the loss was related to costs incurred in a court settlement and the establishment of the new entity, and a return to profitability is very likely. This bodes well for shareholders because if rising profitability drives interest, the stock will benefit not only from it increasing profit-metric value, but a derivative move bringing it up to or hopefully above its sector's price-metric ratios. Institutions only own 2% ... And, a bonus, there have been almost $1 million in insider buys recently.

Interesting, but I'm more impressed with the balance sheet. Though Tyco holds $3.7 billion in debt, $2.88 billion of that is short-term, reports Capital IQ. What that means is management intends to pay its existing creditors at least $2.88 billion within 12 months.

Tyco Electronics, in its brief history, has never produced that much moola in a year. But firms of its size and capital strength are often able to refinance to more favorable terms. Falling interest rates should allow for that here and create an interesting buying opportunity for the value-inclined.

But that's just my opinion. What about you? What would you do? Let us know by signing up for CAPS today. It's 100% free to participate.

See you back here tomorrow for more of the best of the biggest.

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