When a stock hits a fresh low, it can either signal a dirt cheap dream stock or a dreadful stock to avoid. Separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult, but finding well-run companies at bargain-basement prices is a great way to accumulate a fortune over the long run.

With that in mind, we'll use the aggregate intelligence of the 120,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS to see what the community is saying about stocks hitting 52-week lows today. The community's approval (signified by four- and five-star ratings) could indicate that further research is in order.

Here are two such stocks:

Company

Today’s Intraday Price

Industry

CAPS Rating (out of 5)

Fools Saying Outperform

Guess?, Inc. (NYSE:GES)

$12.51

Specialty Retail

2 Stars

355 of 406

Whirlpool Corp (NYSE:WHR)

$36.50

Household Durables

2 Stars

202 of 252

Source: Motley Fool CAPS, as of Nov. 18, 2008.

Top-rated specialty retail companies:

  • Sherwin-Williams Company (NYSE:SHW): Stock price is 8% lower than last year.
  • Tractor Supply Company (NASDAQ:TSCO): Stock price is 15% lower than last year.

Join us on CAPS to learn more about these and countless other interesting stock ideas.