Based on the aggregated intelligence of 125,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biotech company Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD) has earned a respected four-star ranking. While five-star stocks have been the best performers, our data has shown that four-star stocks still outshine the market by a significant margin and shouldn't be taken lightly; conversely, low-rated 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 facts 

Headquarters (founded)

Foster City, California (1987)

Market Cap

$44.34 billion

Industry

Biotechnology

TTM Revenue

$5.0 billion

Return on Equity (average, last two years)

18.6%

Competitors

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY),

Pfizer (NYSE:PFE)

CAPS members bullish on GILD also bullish on

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ),

General Electric (NYSE:GE)

CAPS members bearish on GILD also bearish on

McDonald's (NYSE:MCD),

Centex (NYSE:CTX)

Sources: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, and Motley Fool CAPS. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over on CAPS, fully 1,400 of the 1,461 members who have rated Gilead -- some 96% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include maven12 and CAPS All-Star BSHumphreyII, who is ranked in the top 5% of our community.

In November, maven12 explained that Gilead is "in the center of a very productive area -- AIDs research, virus suppression in areas such as flue, and liver-related diseases such a Hepatitus (AB&C). They've developed -- and continue to develop very sophisticated pipelines which treat large patient populations."

In a pitch from last week, BSHumphreyII agrees with that line of thinking, but takes a more balanced bullish stance:

Gilead is a strong company in a strong sector in a growth market. They have a solid financial situation relative to the rest of the sector, continuing EPS growth, and excellent margins and returns on investments. AIDS isn't going anywhere as a problem.

There is one potential pitfall to look for, though. The push for relief from patent protection for HIV drugs in Africa could be reenergized with the new Administration. This could be a disaster for Gilead, as gray-market imports could seriously damage the market for their high-cost drugs.

What do you think about Gilead, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 125,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.