Based on the aggregated intelligence of 145,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, natural gas transporter Energy Transfer Partners (NYSE:ETP) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Energy Transfer facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Dallas (2002)

Market Cap

$8 billion

Industry

Oil and gas storage and transportation

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$5.71 billion

Management

CEO Kelcy Warren (since 2007)
CFO Martin Salinas, Jr. (since 2008)

Trailing-12-Month Operating and Profit Margin

17.8% and 11.9%

Cash/Debt

$62.74 million / $6.21 billion

Dividend Yield

7.9%

Competitors

Enterprise Products Partners (NYSE:EPD)
Enbridge Energy Partners (NYSE:EEP)

CAPS Members Bullish on ETP Also Bullish on

General Electric (NYSE:GE)
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

CAPS Members Bearish on ETP Also Bearish on

Citigroup (NYSE:C)
Cemex (NYSE:CX)

Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 98% of the 2,073 members who have rated Energy Transfer believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include rojen986 and WheresTheBox.

Early last month, rojen986 singled out the stock as a natural selection: "Natural gas prices are currently depressed, but it is cleaner than most other fossil fuels so it should get stronger demand when the economy improves. In the meantime there is a nice 8% dividend to compensate for any short-tem downside."

In a pitch from one week later, WheresTheBox tapped Energy Transfer as a safe bet regardless of where natural gas goes:

The recent developments in hydrofracturing seem to be doubling the available US reserves of Natural Gas, causing some to call us "the Saudi Arabia of Natural Gas". But this will not be true, because everyone will have twice as much Natural Gas. This suddenly much more available and easily-used fuel should greatly increase its market. Unfortunately, I don't see how its price will increase in light of this increasing supply. So, here's my logic: If you can't depend upon the gas PRODUCERS value to increase, how about the gas TRANSPORTERS instead?

Add to this the tangential benefit that Natural Gas only produces about 55% of the Carbon Dioxide as coal, so if we get any kind of Carbon program, its relative value will increase.

What do you think about Energy Transfer, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!