Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, retail behemoth Wal-Mart Stores (WMT 1.48%) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Wal-Mart facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Bentonville, Ark. (1945)

Market Cap

$254.2 billion

Industry

Hypermarkets and supercenters

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$460.7 billion

Management

CEO Michael Duke (since 2009)
CFO Charles Holley (since 2010)

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

22.9%

Cash/Debt

$8.0 billion / $55.4 billion

Dividend Yield

2.1%

Competitors

Carrefour SA
Costco Wholesale (COST 0.25%)
Target (TGT -0.21%)

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

On CAPS, 89% of the 7,044 members who have rated Wal-Mart believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

This past summer, one of those bulls, All-Star Cmartin400, tapped the stock as a particularly solid selection:

[Wal-Mart] is a staple of America and may be one of the safest stocks known to mankind. This stock has been around $50-60 for the last ten years and have paid dividends in the mean time. It may only be [a 2% yield], but it has never crashed since then. Now it is around $70! This company has had its scandals and the stock price has never faded. You may hate [Wal-Mart] for ruining communities, but you can't hate this stock. I'd rather put my money in WMT than a savings account.

If you want market-thumping 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, Wal-Mart 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.