Based on the aggregated intelligence of 135,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, global mining giant Rio Tinto (NYSE:RTP) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Rio Tinto facts

Headquarters (founded)

London, UK (1873)

Market Cap

$62.2 billion

Industry

Diversified Metals and Mining

TTM Revenue

$54.26 billion

Management

CEO Tom Albanese (since 2007)
CFO Guy Elliott (since 2002)

Return on Equity (average, last three years)

32.9%

Dividend Yield

2.8%

Competitors

BHP Billiton (NYSE:BHP)
Freeport-McMoRan (NYSE:FCX)

CAPS members bullish on RTP also bullish on

Vale (NYSE:VALE)
Transocean (NYSE:RIG)

CAPS members bearish on RTP also bearish on

Alcoa (NYSE:AA)
Ford Motor (NYSE:F)

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

Over on CAPS, fully 481 of the 489 All-Star members who have rated Rio Tinto -- some 98% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include Dylan67 and zk116, both of whom are ranked in the top 2% of our community.

In April, Dylan67 tapped Rio Tinto as a potent play on several fronts: "Like the international diverse exposure to mining. Good dividend and inflation hedge. Once the industrial sector picks up, demand for ores will increase."

In a more recent pitch from last month, zk116 digs a little deeper:

Part of the attraction to this stock is the hit in price it has taken over the past twelve months. When revenues stop growing during a recession, other factors must be looked at to determine the health of the company. Margins seem to have been maintained. An enormous acquisition of 37B in 2007 and an investment four times larger in R&D show confidence by company management. If this company produces similar profit to revenues as last year, it will easily make the trip back to those levels. With a potential boost from its new business, it may even surpass them.

What do you think about Rio Tinto, or any other stock for that matter? Make your voice heard on Motley Fool CAPS today. More than 135,000 investors are waiting to hear what you have to say. CAPS is 100% free, so simply click here to get started.