Based on the aggregated intelligence of 150,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, biopharmaceutical company Geron (NASDAQ:GERN) has received a distressing two-star ranking.

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

Geron facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Menlo Park, Calif. (1990)

Market Cap

$550 million

Industry

Biotechnology

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$1.7 million

Management

CEO Dr. Thomas Okarma (since 1999)

CFO David Greenwood (since 1995)

Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years)

(29.2%)

Cash / Debt

$179 million / $0

1-Year Return

(8.8%)

Competitors

Bristol-Myers Squibb (NYSE:BMY)

Novartis (NYSE:NVS)

GlaxoSmithKline (NYSE:GSK)

Highly Rated Biotech Alternatives

Amgen (NASDAQ:AMGN)

Genzyme (NASDAQ:GENZ)

Gilead Sciences (NASDAQ:GILD)

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

On CAPS, 11% of the 612 members who have rated Geron believe the stock will underperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bears include SwingCorey and kinosternon.

Last month, SwingCorey explained where his bearishness stems from:

Embryonic stem cell research, regardless of the current presidential/congressional support, is in trouble. They have not figured out how to fix the problems (e.g. cancerous tumors), yet "adult" stem cells (e.g., from dental pulp, bone marrow, and fatty deposits) are consistently meeting or exceeding expectations. ... Combine funding cuts with research setbacks and Geron is in a LOT of trouble.

In a pitch from two weeks ago, kinosternon echoes that sentiment:

Geron has gambled with embryonic stem cells. Prop. 71, which passed over 5 years ago, has been a disaster and only the scientists that received funding have benefited from its passage. A number of other stem cell companies ... have and continue to move products through clinical trials and into various markets with advance coming from non-embryonic stem cells. Wall Street has not yet realized the difference between embryonic and non-embryonic stem cells; in my opinion, that will change soon.

What do you think about Geron, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to protect your portfolio from any undue risk. Staying away from dangerous stocks is crucial to securing your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to flag them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!