Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, medical-device giant Medtronic (NYSE: MDT) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Medtronic facts

Headquarters (Founded) Minneapolis (1949)
Market Cap $41.12 billion
Industry Health care equipment
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $15.72 billion
Management Chairman/CEO William Hawkins, III
CFO Gary Ellis
Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) 18.8%
Cash/Debt $3.54 billion / $10.56 billion
Dividend Yield 2.4%
Competitors Boston Scientific (NYSE: BSX)
Johnson & Johnson (NYSE: JNJ)
St. Jude Medical (NYSE: STJ)

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

On CAPS, 95% of the 1,649 members who have rated Medtronic believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include chucksauce and Motley Fool Rising Star Bryan Hinmon (TMF42).

Late last year, chucksauce tapped Medtronic as a particularly healthy choice: "Innovative, market leader, willing to invest a considerable amount of its cash to R&D to make sure it stays on top. Will recover with the industry over the next 5+ yrs."

Currently, Medtronic trades with a forward P/E of 10.5. That's a discount to rivals Boston Scientific (14.5), Johnson & Johnson (11.8), and St. Jude (11.3), as well as other medical device plays like Intuitive Surgical (Nasdaq: ISRG) at 25.1 and Zimmer Holdings (NYSE: ZMH) at 11.8.

Fellow Fool Bryan Hinmon expands on the outperform case:

(1) Size matters: [Medtronic] has an edge in global distribution and prowess/experience in appeasing health regulators for efficacy data. (2) R&D: [Medtronic] spends consistently more on R&D than its peers and links bonuses with R&D success. (3) [Medtronic] has plenty of room to run internationally, with only 40% of sales from abroad and only 7% from emerging markets. (4) Aging population and western medicine spreading. (5) It's cheap! Cash flows are strong and the market is too pessimistic.

What do you think about Medtronic, 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!