Based on the aggregated intelligence of 170,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Brazilian mining giant Vale (NYSE: VALE) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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 (1942)

Market Cap

$138.7 billion

Industry

Industrial metals and minerals

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$32.6 billion

Management

President/CEO Roger Agnelli

Chief Accountant Vera Lucia de Almeida Pereira Elias

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

22.7%

Cash/Debt

$6.9 billion /$25.7 billion

Dividend Yield

2.4%

Competitors

BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP)

Rio Tinto (NYSE: RTP)

Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE: FCX)

Peabody Energy (NYSE: BTU)

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 6,424 members who have rated Vale believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include blcourtney and Simbalion200.

Just last month , blcourtney touched on the several tailwinds working in Vale's favor: "Leading Brazilian miner expanding into oil & gas E&P for exceptional commodities play, ahead of an Olympian, World Cup, Pre-Salt infrastructure boom."

As the world's largest iron ore miner and second-largest nickel producer, Vale continues to be one of our community's favorite plays on the rebound in global steel output. While higher Chinese exposure has helped formidable foes BHP and Rio Tinto grab iron ore market share recently, Fools remain highly attracted to Vale's massive scale and ultra-efficient operations. For example, Vale's five-year average net margin is higher than BHP's and Rio's, as well as other mining giants like Freeport and Peabody. And with the shares lagging each one of those competitors over the past three months, Vale might be a timely opportunity, to boot.

CAPS member Simbalion200 sums up the bull case:

The company is the world's #1 iron ore miner. The company accounts for a third of the world's ocean-shipped iron ore. The company also mines for bauxite, nickel, kaolin, and potash. Other products include steel, copper, and aluminum. A big negative is that the Brazilian government holds limited veto power on any permanent company changes. Company has sound fundamentals. ... Company is a good value/growth stock and price should appreciate.

What do you think about Vale, 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!