Why C.R. Bard Is Poised to Outperform

Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, medical device company C.R. Bard (NYSE: BCR  ) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

C.R. Bard facts

Headquarters (founded)	Murray Hill, N.J. (1907)
Market Cap	$8.1 billion
Industry	Healthcare equipment
Trailing-12-Month Revenue	$3.0 billion
Management	Chairman/CEO Timothy Ring President/COO John Weiland
Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)	23%
Cash/Debt	$896.3 million / $1.4 billion
Dividend Yield	0.8%
Competitors	Boston Scientific Johnson & Johnson

Sources: S&P Capital IQ and Motley Fool CAPS.

On CAPS, 97% of the 279 members who have rated C.R. Bard believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Earlier this week, one of those Fools, All-Star JohnCLeven, succinctly summed up the C.R. Bard bull case for our community:

[C.R. Bard] has been on my radar for a while. [C.R. Bard] exhibits many of the characteristics that I find appealing in a business including: high returns on capital and equity, consistent growth in earnings and free cash flows, share buybacks, and a solid balance sheet.

[C.R. Bard] has a solid position within the medical device industry, and I believe that probability is very high that [C.R. Bard] will continue to create significant value over the next 5-10 years, and probably much longer. At today's 6.8% free cash flow yield, this high-quality business should outperform in the long run.

If you want market-thumping returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Of course, despite a strong five-star rating, C.R. Bard may not be your top choice.

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