Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, carbon fiber maker Zoltek Companies (Nasdaq: ZOLT) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Zoltek facts

Headquarters (Founded) St. Louis (1975)
Market Cap $333.7 million
Industry Specialty chemicals
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $131.16 million
Management

Founder/CEO Zsolt Rumy

CFO Andrew Whipple
Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) (0.3%)
Cash/Debt $18.6 million / $9 million
Competitors

Cytec Industries (NYSE: CYT)

Hexcel (NYSE: HXL)


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

On CAPS, 94.5% of the 747 members who have rated Zoltek believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include TrackSterman and davidm8797.

Just last month, TrackSterman included Zoltek in a group of stocks that have yet to completely turn around:

Even as the market has rebounded sharply after the 2008 economic crisis, many individual stocks remain well below pre-recession levels. These companies did just fine when the economy was more robust. As the economy rebounds, these shares should post outsized gains.

In fact, shares of Zoltek are basically unchanged over the past year, while close rivals Cytec and Hexcel are up roughly 40% and 50%, respectively, over the same period. And while carbon fiber makers like Dow Chemical (NYSE: DOW), DuPont (NYSE: DD), and Ashland (NYSE: ASH) sport lower price multiples than Zoltek, they're already quite large and extend into several different chemical segments.

CAPS member davidm8797 expands on Zoltek as a potent and pure play on carbon fiber:

In ten to fifteen years, all cars will be made out of carbon fiber. And airplanes. And guns. ... Add to that the "green effect" of making things out of things other than heavy, poisonous metals, and carbon fiber is a sure shot. Carbon fiber also has a cool factor to it. All super cars are made out of it. It's super light, and safer during car wrecks. I wish there was a carbon fiber index, but most of the companies are private or in China -- I checked. Until then I'll have to settle with [Zoltek], but I'm really not complaining

What do you think about Zoltek, or any other stock for that matter? If you want to retire rich, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future, and on Motley Fool CAPS, thousands of investors are working every day to find them. CAPS is 100% free, so get started!