Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Canadian banking giant Bank of Nova Scotia (NYSE: BNS) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Scotiabank facts

Headquarters (Founded) Toronto (1832)
Market Cap $65.26 billion
Industry Diversified banks
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $14.98 billion
Management

CEO Richard Waugh

CFO Luc Vanneste
Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) 15.6%
Dividend Yield 3.5%
Competitors

Bank of Montreal (NYSE: BMO)

Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce (NYSE: CM)

Royal Bank of Canada (NYSE: RY)

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

On CAPS, 96% of the 567 members who have rated Scotiabank believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include dipster12000 and All-Star Schmacko, who is ranked in the top 10% of our community.

Just last week, dipster12000 tapped the stock as a bankable global opportunity: "Stable Canadian bank with good Latin American growth potential. Pretty bullet proof."

Over the next five years, in fact, Scotiabank is expected to grow its bottom line at a solid rate of 12% annually. That's slightly faster than main rivals Bank of Montreal, CIBC, and Royal Bank, all of which are expected to grow at a 10% clip.

CAPS member Schmacko expands on the outperform argument:

I like this bank primarily for it's international business and as an indirect play in Latin American markets (like Colombia and Uruguay) that don't have very many ADR options for direct investment choices. Picking near its 52 week high is a little worrisome for me but it seems to have some decent momentum behind it, so hopefully that won't be too big a deal over the long term.

What do you think about Scotiabank, 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!