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Shipper Excel Maritime Carriers (NYSE:EXM) has a little more wind in its sails these days. Enough top-performing CAPS members have turned bullish on the company recently to upgrade it from its four-star rank to a top-of-the-class five stars. A total of 1,797 members have given their opinion on Excel Maritime Carriers, with many offering analysis and commentary to explain their recent optimism.

Despite reporting a fourth-quarter loss, investors lifted shares of Excel Maritime last month, as it boosted its voyage revenue by 81% in the quarter. Many shippers such as Navios Maritime (NYSE:NM), Excel, and DryShips (NASDAQ:DRYS) proved unable to avoid contract issues because of the economy, but Excel was able to recover fees from one delinquent client and work out a compromise with another. In addition, it has several large, stable clients such as BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP) and Bunge -- customers that investors believe pose little risk of cancellation, which should help the company survive the economic storm.

Excel carries a high debt load (as does DryShips), but it has managed to secure covenant waivers from lenders -- a move that shippers such as Genco Shipping (NYSE:GNK) and TBS International (NASDAQ:TBSI) have made popular. The company also received a big vote of confidence from a major shareholder, in the form of a $45 million cash infusion. First-quarter earnings from shippers are definitely suffering, but some, such as DryShips, Excel and Diana Shipping (NYSE:DSX), are surpassing analysts' muted expectations, leaving many CAPS members bullish about Excel's prospects once the economy picks up.

To see what the very best CAPS analysts are saying now about Excel Maritime Carriers -- as well as other winning stocks they are picking -- head on over to CAPS and have a look. Unlike analysts' opinions, which are generally reserved for paying clients, community research and resources in CAPS are totally free.

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