Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, aluminum giant Alcoa (NYSE: AA) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Alcoa facts

Headquarters (Founded) New York (1888)
Market Cap $11.5 billion
Industry Aluminum
Trailing-12-Month Revenue $24.6 billion
Management CEO Dr. Klaus-Christian Kleinfeld (since 2008)
CFO Charles McLane, Jr. (since 2007)
Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years) (1%)
Cash/Debt $1.34 billion / $9.31 billion
Dividend Yield 1.1%
Competitors

BHP Billiton (NYSE: BHP)

Rio Tinto (NYSE: RIO)

Vale (NYSE: VALE)


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

On CAPS, 94% of the 3,463 members who have rated Alcoa believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include piranha60565 and dougherty7.

Late in September, piranha60565 tapped the stock as a solid turnaround opportunity: "Aluminum is making a comeback and [Alcoa] will benefit the most. Competition in China is tough but I trust their management and experience."

Over the next five years, in fact, Alcoa is expected to grow its bottom line at a brisk rate of 37% annually. That's much faster than competitors like BHP (16%), Rio Tinto (9%), and Vale (7%).

CAPS member dougherty7 expands on the big trend working in Alcoa's favor:

I expect aluminum to become increasingly important to automakers. Fuel economy regulations are set to ramp up aggressively over the next 10-20 years. When tweaking the engine leaves a car short of the industry requirement, the automaker will have no choice but to save weight. Aluminum's strength and lightness will make it a crucial part of every car.

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