Based on the aggregated intelligence of 115,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Brazilian mining giant Vale
With that in mind, let's take a closer look at Vale's business, and see what CAPS investors are saying about the stock right now.
Vale facts
Headquarters (Founded) |
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1942) |
Market Cap |
$101.29 billion |
Industry |
Diversified Metals and Mining |
TTM Revenue |
$39.68 billion |
Management |
CEO Roger Agnelli (since 2007), CFO Fabio de Oliveira Barbosa (since 2002) |
Return on Equity (average last three years) |
35.7% |
Close Competitors |
Rio Tinto
BHP Billiton |
CAPS members bullish on RIO also bullish on |
Freeport-McMoRan Copper & Gold
Southern Copper |
CAPS members bearish on RIO also bearish on |
General Motors
First Solar |
Sources: Capital IQ, a division of Standard & Poor's, and Motley Fool CAPS. TTM = trailing 12 months.
Over on CAPS, fully 779 of 799 of the All-Star members who have rated Vale -- some 97% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These All-Star bulls include alvinbentley and deraj83 both of whom are ranked in the top 10% of our community.
In April, alvinbentley noted that Vale "controls half of the world's iron ore and can command higher prices with increasing demand. ... As China is the world's leading steel producer, this relationship will maintain an ever increasing flow of money from China to Brazil."
An earlier pitch from deraj83 in August 2007 shares that bullish sentiment, elaborating on Vale's ironclad dominance:
[Vale] is the world's largest producer of iron ore and also has a virtual monopoly on nickel production. In addition, the company controls most mining-related transportation infrastructure in Brazil. The company has made several acquisitions over the last few years ... [solidifying] the company's position as a top-notch resource play... [Vale] also boasts high insider ownership. Until growth from China and India collapses, I expect rapid growth to continue.
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