4-Star Stocks Poised to Pop: H.J. Heinz

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 165,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, ketchup king H.J. Heinz (NYSE: HNZ) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Heinz facts

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

On CAPS, 94% of the 752 members who have rated Heinz believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include jfalbo and All-Star georcole, who is ranked in the top 5% of our community.

Just last month, jfalbo reminded Fools that "Heinz is the king of ketchup." Our CAPS member concludes: "[T]hey have a strong position in US markets and are looking to expand business abroad which could lead to added growth for the company."

Heinz's leading brands, foreign exposure, and recession-proof nature continue to drive our community's high opinion of the stock. The company is best known for its namesake ketchup, of course, but with its top 15 "power brands" driving more than two-thirds of sales, many Fools are actually drawn to the diversification Heinz provides. And with more global exposure than any U.S.-based packaged food company including rivals Campbell, ConAgra, and Kraft, Heinz offers a great way to diversify out of the greenback, as well.

CAPS All-Star georcole elaborates on the bull case:

Everybody knows about [ketchup] and other condiments, but did you know that their great ketchup goes really well on their Ore Ida french fries. They also make Bagel Bites, Boston Market, TGI Friday's and Weight Watchers products as well. Those are just the U.S. products. If you want a little foriegn exposure, they've got that to. They make baby food under a couple of different brand names for different areas of the world. They also have a couple different kinds of tuna products for different areas as well. ...

With the S&P going pretty much nowhere over the last nine months or so, you would have to appreciate the value of the 3.8% dividend. It's those little things that make a big company like [Heinz] an outperformer in this sideways market that we find ourselves in.

What do you think about Heinz, 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!