Based on the aggregated intelligence of 125,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, outdoor apparel maker Columbia Sportswear (NASDAQ:COLM) 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 Columbia's business and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.

Columbia facts

Headquarters (founded)

Portland, Ore. (1938)

Market Cap

$1.14 billion

Industry

Apparel, accessories, and luxury goods

TTM Revenue

$1.34 billion

Management

CEO Timothy Boyle (since 1988)

CFO Bryan Timm (since May 2008)

Return on Equity (average last three years)

14.9%

Dividend Yield

1.9%

Competitors

Nike (NYSE:NKE)

Timberland (NYSE:TBL)

CAPS members bullish on COLM also bullish on

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

Ctrip.com International (NASDAQ:CTRP)

CAPS members bearish on COLM also bearish on

Ford Motor (NYSE:F)

Goldman Sachs (NYSE:GS)

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

Over on CAPS, 533 of the 579 members who have rated Columbia -- or 92% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include mageda and bkwfool.

Last week, mageda wrote that Columbia was an apparel exception: "It seems crazy to be bull on a clothing stock nowadays, but this one's different: It has 0 debt and 66% insider ownership."

In a pitch from October, bkwfool agrees, highlighting the stock's attractive price (which is about the same now):

Very conservatively managed. ... Has been cash-flow positive every [quarter] but one for several years, and that qtr had a big writedown of [accounts receivable]. Has begun competing in Europe, where their high-quality, warm clothing should sell well. [Enterprise value / cash flow from operations] is nearly down to 4 now - screaming bargain territory. Negligible debt. Pays a nice 1.8% while you wait.

What do you think about Columbia, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started. 

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