Based on the aggregated intelligence of 130,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, specialty glass and ceramics giant Corning (NYSE:GLW) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Corning facts

Headquarters (founded)

Corning, N.Y. (1851)

Market Cap

$24.78 billion

Industry

Communications Equipment

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$5.95 billion

Management

CEO Wendell Weeks (since 2005)

CFO James Flaws (since 1997)

Return on Equity (average, last three years)

33.5%

Dividend Yield

1.3%

Competitors

3M (NYSE:MMM)

Becton, Dickinson & Company (NYSE:BDX)

CAPS members bullish on GLW also bullish on

General Electric (NYSE:GE)

Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL)

CAPS members bearish on GLW also bearish on

General Motors (NYSE:GM)

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)

Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's) and Motley Fool CAPS.

Over on CAPS, 3,127 of the 3,219 members who have rated Corning -- or 97% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include shawnd777 and dickseacup.

Last month, shawnd777 wrote that Corning "has been around for a long time and will be around after the Great Recession." Our CAPS member likes the company's "[f]avorable PE and potential for earnings growth in its business sectors - LCD glass, chemistry glass, cad. converters/pollution control, and the exploding demand for bandwidth on the 'net will drive fiber optics growth."

In a pitch from February, dickseacup expands on the tailwinds blowing in the stock's favor:

With the new administration's stimulus plan providing for expanded broadband availability, the logical choice for infrastructure is fiber optics. The logical choice for fiber optics is Corning Glass. Their other major business line is LCD panels. With CRT-based television sets on the wane, demand for panels will increase over time (Corning recently announced that they see an increase in 2Q09 demand). In DEC 08, [Corning] management cut production of panels in response to an inventory glut at manufacturers. Rapid response to market conditions is a positive. Fundamentals look good.

What do you think about Corning, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 130,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.