Based on the aggregated intelligence of 145,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, paper and packaging company International Paper (NYSE:IP) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

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

International Paper facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Memphis, Tenn. (1898)

Market Cap

$10.61 billion

Industry

Paper products

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$23.94 billion

Management

CEO John Faraci (since 2003)
CFO Timothy Nicholls (since 2007)

Trailing-12-Month Return on Equity

(14.3%)

Cash / Debt

$1.65 billion / $9.66 billion

1-Year Return

135%

Competitors

Weyerhaeuser (NYSE:WY)
MeadWestvaco

CAPS Members Bearish on IP Also Bearish on

Ford Motor (NYSE:F)
Capital One Financial (NYSE:COF)
Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)

CAPS Members Bullish on IP Also Bullish on

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

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

On CAPS, 17% of the 401 members who have rated International Paper believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bears include smartdanny and All-Star SeekBalance, who is ranked in the top 17% of our community.

This past summer, smartdanny described International Paper as a brutal business selling at a bad price: This stock is overbought, and the company is in a shrinking industry."

In a more recent pitch from last week, SeekBalance wrote that the company continues to look rough on paper:

[International Paper] bottomed under 5. So why has this troubled company quintupled from there in the past 9 months. Sure beats me -- continuing negative EPS and a mountain of debt in a contracting industry. Federal subsidies ending, and has recently announced a price increase in the face of industry oversupply. OOPS! Due for a big correction.

What do you think about International Paper, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to protect your portfolio from any undue risk. Staying away from dangerous stocks is crucial to securing your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to flag them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!