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 130,000-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

Baxter International, Inc. (NYSE:BAX)

$47.17

Health-Care Equipment and Supplies

4 Stars

456 of 487

Abbott Laboratories (NYSE:ABT)

$43.24

Pharmaceuticals

4 Stars

1182 of 1254

Source: Motley Fool CAPS, as of April 6, 2009.

Top-rated health-care equipment and supplies companies:

  • ATS Medical, Inc. (NASDAQ:ATSI): Stock price is 51% higher than last year.
  • Masimo Corp (OTC BB: MASI): Stock price is 12% higher than last year.

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