A 1-in-100 Investor

The first 100 days in office sets the tone for a new president. Likewise, Motley Fool CAPS keeps an eye on how investors do in their first 100 days. Some of our best -- we call them All-Stars -- have achieved scores of 100 on stock selections in their first 100 days on CAPS. Since data shows that the best stocks to buy and sell have earned top ratings, might we also assume that when the best players rate the best stocks, there's a correlation?

One of our highest rated CAPS members is NTMF, who sports a nearly perfect 99.96 member rating. A member since April 2007, NTMF currently has 197 active picks on CAPS out of 852 stock picks made. Achieving 81% accuracy, NTMF has also attracted 9 "groupies," CAPS players who've listed this leading investor as one of their favorites.

Here are a few of this top member's most recent stock selections and how they were rated.

Source: Motley Fool CAPS. *Price when call was made. Current score is how many points a member is beating (lagging) the S&P 500 index from the time of the call.

The century mark
Extracting oil and gas from rock formations buried deep in the ground requires oil-services companies to pump fluids under pressure into naturally forming cracks. They'll then often use sand or ceramic beads to prop open the fissures so the oil and gas can flow more smoothly. Halliburton, one of the leading companies in the field along with Schlumberger, is finding that the overcapacity problem is abating and that pricing in the field is improving.

CAPS member Champ4870 is another Halliburton bull who simply finds the world's need for oil a catalyst for further drilling and for advancements in the technology for extracting it: "The world [will] continue to drill for ail and gas. In addition there will be [continuing] need for advances in drilling technology and devices that control the distribution of the commodity."

Yet with oil prices still over $100 a barrel, it has become clear to CAPS member jhe2jhe that the issue of drilling transcends politics and that regardless of what happens in November, Transocean stands to benefit.

[Transocean] is in the low cycle of its 52-week range. Regardless of election results it is clear the United States will begin drilling offshore. [Transocean] is poised to take advantage of increased rigs in the Pacific and Atlantic. Management has always been sound and a [price-to-earnings ratio] of 7.89 is compelling

One company that should have survived if not thrived in a period of high oil prices is Blockbuster. The theory goes that with gas prices soaring, people would want to stay home and watch movies, and so being able to get a movie at a local bricks-and-mortar store, through the mail, and now at kiosks, Blockbuster would be a go-to vendor. It hasn't worked out that way, and with financial troubles mounting, its shares are off more than 50% over the past year.

CAPS member esymoni thinks, though, that Blockbuster is demonstrating an ability to change with the times despite lagging performance.

[Blockbuster] retail and game business is growing huge and will continue to grow based on the future of game software and console sales. The risk reward to buy [Blockbuster] in the mid 2's greatly favors the longs potential for abnormal returns holding the stock in short, medium and long term.

Business model is quickly expanding and [Blockbuster] will have media delivery available in all formats.

A 1-in-100 opportunity
Some of the best and smartest members in the CAPS investor-intelligence community have made their mark, but it pays to start your own research on these stocks on Motley Fool CAPS. Read a company's financial reports, scrutinize key data and charts, and examine the comments your fellow investors have made -- all from a stock's CAPS page.

As hockey great Wayne Gretzky once noted, "You miss 100% of the shots you never take." At Motley Fool CAPS, every investor's opinion counts and since it's free to sign up, why not use this opportunity to take your best shot?