Based on the aggregated intelligence of 115,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, derivatives exchange giant CME Group (NASDAQ:CME) has earned a respected four-star ranking. While five-star stocks have been the best performers, our data has shown that four-star stocks still outshine the market by a significant margin and shouldn't be taken lightly; conversely, low-rated stocks have woefully lagged the market average.

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

CME facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Chicago (1898)

Market Cap

$21.35 billion

Industry

Specialized Finance

TTM Revenue

$2.28 billion

Management

CEO Craig Donohue (since 2007)
CFO James Parisi (since 2004)

Return on Capital (average last three years)

11.7%

Competitors

Nasdaq OMX (NASDAQ:NDAQ)
NYSE Euronext (NYSE:NYX)

CAPS members bullish on CME also bullish on

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

CAPS members bearish on CME also bearish on

Merrill Lynch (NYSE:MER)
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)

Sources: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, and Motley Fool CAPS. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over on CAPS, some 91% of the 164 All-Star members who have rated CME believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These All-Star bulls include shastashadow and rbgibbons, both of whom are ranked in the top 5% of our community.

In late May, shastashadow noted that "More and more people are getting into commodities trading, looking for the holy grail of 'get rich quick.' ... I know the CME is well managed and they will be around for a long time, already have been for over a 100 years."

A more recent pitch from rbgibbons in June shares that bullish attitude, citing CME's economic moat as the source for outsized gains:

Exchanges have natural networking effects which provide a competitive advantage. CME's clearing house is a further competitive advantage. Over the long term, the economy should grow, which should help CME grow. Plus, there are opportunities in new markets and products like Credit Default Swaps. Today's price is compelling for a company with these sorts of competitive advantages.

What do you think about CME Group, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 115,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.