Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, consumer electronic device Apple (Nasdaq: AAPL) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Apple facts

   
Founded (founded) Cupertino, Calif. (1976)
Market Cap $577.2 billion
Industry Computer hardware
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $148.8 billion
Management

CEO Timothy Cook (since 2011)

CFO Peter Oppenheimer (since 2004)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 40.6%
Cash/Debt $27.7 billion / $0
Dividend Yield 1.7%
Competitors

Google

Hewlett-Packard

Research In Motion

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

On CAPS, 91% of the 964 members who have rated Apple believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.   

A couple of weeks ago, one of those Fools, Sharpfool213, succinctly summed up the bull case for our community:

Apple is a rare combination of a value play and growth play. It has plenty of liquid assets on its balance sheet and is starting to make strides in China. ... [D]isplays astronomical growth year after year. In fact, net income has increased by 500% since the launch of the first iPhone in 2007. With the iPhone 5, iPad Mini, and iTV waiting in the wings, a dominant position in the smartphone market, a stranglehold on the MP3 player and tablet market, and ever-increasing Mac sales ... Apple looks poised to become the first ever trillion-dollar company. There. I said it.

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 its four-star rating, Apple may not be your top choice.

However, this doesn’t come close to telling the entire story for Apple. You’re in luck though. The Fool’s brand new premium report on Apple tells all sides of the story for one of the most compelling and powerful companies in the world. You can grab your copy, which comes with free updates for 12 months, by just clicking here.

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