Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, oil and gas company Whiting Petroleum (NYSE: WLL) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Whiting facts

Headquarters (Founded) Denver (1983)
Market Cap $5 billion
Industry Oil and gas exploration and production
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $1.67 billion
Management

Chairman/CEO James Volker

President/COO James Brown
Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) 7.4%
Cash/Debt $11.09 million / $1.06 billion
Competitors Anadarko Petroleum (NYSE: APC)

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 660 members who have rated Whiting believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star Keekers44 and canofwhupass.

Earlier this month, Keekers44 tapped Whiting as a particularly potent energy pick:

WLL was the second largest oil producer in North Dakota in 2010 and has 680,100 net acres in the Bakken. WLL has an aggressive ... drilling schedule. Another good Bakken play.

Over the next five years, in fact, Whiting is expected to grow its bottom line at a brisk rate of 18.7% annually. That's much faster than industry peers like Anadarko (9.9%), Apache (NYSE: APA) (9.5%), and Chesapeake Energy (NYSE: CHK) (11%).

CAPS member canofwhupass elaborates on the Whiting bull case:

I would say that this company will outperform the S&P 500 in the coming years. As America grows more and more tired of rising oil prices and the United States begins to look elsewhere for oil rather than the Middle East. This company's biggest advantage over foreign oil is that it exploits reserves primarily in and around the United States. I predict that its stocks will rise as the call becomes greater to exploit domestic oil reserves and reduce US dependence on foreign oil.

What do you think about Whiting, 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!

Interested in another easy way to track Whiting? Add it to your watchlist.