Based on the aggregated intelligence of 125,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Italian oil and gas giant Eni (NYSE:E) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Eni facts

Headquarters (founded)

Rome, Italy (1953)

Market Cap

$81.76 billion

Industry

Integrated Oil and Gas

TTM Revenue

$154.1 billion

Management

CEO Paolo Scaroni (since 2005)
CFO Alessandro Bernini (since 2008)

Return on Equity (average, last three years)

24.6%

Dividend Yield

7.9%

Competitors

Total (NYSE:TOT)
ExxonMobil (NYSE:XOM)

CAPS members bullish on E also bullish on:

ConocoPhillips (NYSE:COP)
Vale (NYSE:RIO)

CAPS members bearish on E also bearish on:

Chevron (NYSE:CVX)
China Petroleum & Chemical (NYSE:SNP)

Sources: Capital IQ (a division of Standard & Poor's), and Motley Fool CAPS. TTM = trailing 12 months.

Over on CAPS, 485 of the 498 members who have rated Eni -- or 97% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star Wraithlok and Seano67.

Earlier this month, Wraithlok wrote that Eni "is a no brainer, solid stable company with nice market cap, low P/E and a great dividend."

In a more extensive pitch from last week, Seano67 expands on those bull points. Below are a few excerpts, but you can read the entire analysis here:

It's a very good defensive play in my opinion, a large-cap European integrated oil and gas behemoth with a low risk rating and well above average dividend yield...

[Eni] faces deregulation of the Italian gas market, but is nonetheless considered to have one of the most attractive development portfolios in the entire oil patch. ...

They've got a very impressive collection of developmental projects currently under way in largely untapped areas such as Libya, Angola, Nigeria, and Algeria, and are spearheading the efforts to tap into the colossal Kashagan oil field beneath the Caspian Sea, which may be the most significant oil field find in decades.

What do you think about Eni, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 125,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.