Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, integrated telecommunications company CenturyLink (NYSE: CTL) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

CenturyLink facts

Headquarters (founded) Monroe, La. (1968)
Market Cap $24.9 billion
Industry Integrated telecommunication services
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $18.3 billion
Management CEO Glen Post (since 1993)
CFO R. Stewart Ewing Jr. (since 1989)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 8.1%
Cash/Debt $1.5 billion / $22.9 billion
Dividend Yield 7.4%
Competitors AT&T
Northeast Communications of Wisconsin
Verizon Communications

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 92% of the 572 members who have rated CenturyLink believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

A few months ago, one of those Fools, allanmsmith, touched on the tailwinds working in CenturyLink's favor: "Third largest US telecom. Savvis acquistion provides entry into fast-growing cloud computing. Integration and economy of scale expected from Embarq and Quest Communications."

If you want market-beating returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future. Of course, despite a strong four-star rating, CenturyLink may not be your top choice.

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Want to see how well (or not so well) the stocks in this series are performing? Follow the TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.