When a stock hits a fresh low, it can either signal a dirt cheap dream stock or a dreadful stock to avoid. Separating the wheat from the chaff is difficult, but finding well-run companies at bargain-basement prices is a great way to accumulate a fortune over the long run.

With that in mind, we'll use the aggregate intelligence of the 110,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS to see what the community is saying about stocks hitting 52-week lows today. The community's approval (as signified by four- and five-star ratings) could be a sign that further research is in order.

Here are three such stocks:

 

Today’s Low

Industry

CAPS Rating

Fools Saying Outperform

Whole Foods Market, Inc. (NASDAQ:WFMI)

$18.26

Retail

***

3,486 of 3,898

inVentiv Health, Inc. (NASDAQ:VTIV)

$22.26

Diversified Services

*****

1,007 of 1,023

Copano Energy, L.L.C. (NASDAQ:CPNO)

$28.26

Energy

*****

156 of 158

Source: Motley Fool CAPS, as of Aug. 6, 2008.

Four- and Five-Star Retail Companies
GameStop Corp. (NYSE:GME) -- up 8.5% in the past year.
Medco Health Solutions, Inc. (NYSE:MHS) -- up 16.6% in the past year.

Four- and Five-Star Diversified Services Companies
Visa, Inc. (NYSE:V) -- up 30.3% in the past year.
Giant Interactive Group (NYSE:GA) -- stock price is 45% cheaper than its IPO price last Oct. 31.

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