Based on the aggregated intelligence of 165,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, specialty glass and ceramics giant Corning (NYSE: GLW) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Corning facts

Headquarters (founded)

Corning, N.Y. (1851)

Market Cap

$25 billion

Industry

Electronic components

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$6.3 billion

Management

CEO Wendell Weeks (since 2005)

CFO James Flaws (since 1997)

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

27.7%

Cash/Debt

$4.3 billion / $1.95 billion

Dividend Yield

1.3%

Competitors

3M (NYSE: MMM)

Tyco Electronics (NYSE: TEL)

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

On CAPS, 97% of the 3,574 members who have rated Corning believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include maxb and bunnhill.

Earlier this month, maxb tapped Corning as a clear opportunity:

As the world economy recovers, demand for glass components for TVs, phones, computers and other consumer electronics will pickup. Corning is positioned to benefit given the wide variety of materials in its arsenal and the incredible research being done in its labs.

As the dominant producer of LCD glass panels, Corning remains one of our community's favorite ways to play the long-term rebound of consumer spending. In fact, Corning's ability to produce larger, thinner, and stronger panels than its competitors has helped it capture more than 50% of the market over the years. Going forward, Fools seem to be excited most about Corning's Gorilla Glass touchscreen potential, as smartphones continue to gain in popularity. And with the stock trailing publically traded rivals 3M and Tyco Electronics so far in 2010, now might be an opportune time to buy into that growth.

CAPS member bunnhill elaborates:

Corning has several things going for it. ... One, flat screen market will remain strong as people replace old sets. Two, with the downturn in the economy, people are staying home more and thus will be purchasing TV's for theiur entertainment. Three, I see a large market for Gorilla Glass. These factor along with increasing margins will help Corning to much better numbers.

What do you think about Corning, 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!