Based on the aggregated intelligence of 110,000 investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biotech company Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) has earned a coveted five-star ranking. Our data has shown that five-star stocks outperform the market by a significant margin. Conversely, one-star stocks have woefully lagged the market average.

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

Gilead Sciences facts

Headquarters (Founded) Foster City, Calif. (1987)

Market Cap

$47.31 billion

Industry

Biotechnology

Trailing-12-Month (TTM) Revenue

$4.46 billion

Management

CEO John Martin (since 1996)
COO John Milligan (since 2007)

Return on Capital (avg. last three years)

30.5%

CAPS players bullish on GILD also bullish on

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL), Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ), Vale (NYSE:RIO)

CAPS players bearish on GILD also bearish on

Coca-Cola (NYSE:KO), D.R. Horton (NYSE:DHI), Research In Motion (NASDAQ:RIMM)

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

Over on CAPS, 98% of the 447 All-Star players who have rated Gilead believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These All-Star bulls include Hogwired1 and jfosu, both of whom are ranked in the top 5% of our community.

In 2006, Hogwired1 noted that Gilead is a "solidly run biotech with an outstanding balance sheet and industry leading aids franchise. This company has substantially outperformed the market and should continue to outperform."

A more recent pitch from jfosu greatly expanded on the bullish argument:

From a small cap in the mid 90s to a large pharma player today this company has always shown it knows how to stay ahead of the game. Just look at its HIV franchise -- Gilead currently produces the ONLY once a day HIV pill on the market. ... To further diversify, late in 2006 GILD acquired two companies that focus on respiratory and cardiopulmonary diseases. ... Finally, GILD is the patent owner of a drug known as tamiflu. Sold by [Roche Holdings], GILD's deal with them still enables them to see a fair share of the revenue. Why is this important? Well, the flu is ubiquitous and there's always a need for treatment. ... You won't get rich quick but based on past performance and future guidance you'll beat the market year in year out.

What do you think about Gilead Sciences, or any other stock, for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 110,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.