Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, graphite and carbon-based products manufacturer GrafTech International (NYSE: GTI) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

GrafTech facts

Headquarters (founded) Parma, Ohio (1886)
Market Cap $1.5 billion
Industry Industrial electrical equipment
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $1.3 billion
Management CEO Craig Shular (since 2003)
CFO Lindon Robertson (since 2011)
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years) 16.5%
Cash/Debt $7.1 million / $604.2 million
Competitors SGL Carbon
Showa Denko
Tokai Carbon

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 926 members who have rated GrafTech believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Just last month, one of those Fools, TMF42, succinctly summed up the bull case for our community:

GrafTech is the low-cost producer of high quality graphite electrodes needed to make steel in electric arc furnaces. The company has a history of solid performance in a cyclical business and is run by savvy managers with a long-term outlook. GrafTech recently purchased its largest supplier and should begin improving input quality and benefitting from cost savings. While demand for steel will ebb and flow, GrafTech's cost advantages remain.

If you want market-topping 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 five-star rating, GrafTech may not be your top choice.

We've found another stock we are incredibly excited about -- excited enough to dub it "The Motley Fool's Top Stock for 2012." We have compiled a special free report for investors to uncover this stock today. The report is 100% free, but it won't be here forever, so click here to access it now.

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