Based on the aggregated intelligence of 135,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, scientific instrument maker Thermo Fisher Scientific (NYSE:TMO) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Thermo Fisher facts

Headquarters (founded)

Waltham, Mass. (1956)

Market Cap

$19 billion

Industry

Life sciences tools and services

TTM Revenue

$9.97 billion

Management

President/CEO Dr. Marijn Dekkers
CFO Peter Wilver

Compound Annual Revenue and Net Income Growth (over last five years)

37.5% and 29.0%

Competitors

ABB (NYSE:ABB)
Bruker (NASDAQ:BRKR)

CAPS members bullish on TMO also bullish on

Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ)
Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

CAPS members bearish on TMO also bearish on

Google (NASDAQ:GOOG)
BP (NYSE:BP)

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

Over on CAPS, fully 438 of the 453 members who have rated Thermo Fisher -- some 97% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star JjcampNR, who is ranked in the top 15% of our community, and TheGouch23.

Last month, JjcampNR singled out Thermo Fisher as a healthy "picks and shovels" pick: "Those who supply the new bio-techs, pharmas, and life science companies will succeed along with them, but with less volatility."

In a more recent pitch, TheGouch23 also tapped the stock as an "instrumental" part of U.S. growth going forward:

With healthcare and the environment becoming increasingly popular topics (and growth projected in both), a company like [Thermo Fisher] which has a hand in them will surely benefit. As creative minds leave finance and begin to drift towards sciences, it's reasonable to expect growth in real US innovation again. Smart minds will have green collar jobs, and jobs in healthcare, and they will need instruments to their jobs. This bodes well for [Thermo Fisher's] profits and prospects for growing market presence.

What do you think about Thermo Fisher, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 135,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.