Based on the aggregated intelligence of 165,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, contract driller Ensco (NYSE: ESV) has earned a coveted five-star ranking.

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

Ensco facts

Headquarters (Founded)

London (1975)

Market Cap

$6.4 billion

Industry

Oil and gas drilling

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$1.8 billion

Management

CEO Daniel Rabun (since 2007)

CFO James Swent III (since 2003)

Return on Equity (Average, Past 3 Years)

20.1%

Cash/Debt

$1.2 billion / $266 million

Dividend Yield

3.2%

Competitors

Transocean (NYSE: RIG)

Diamond Offshore Drilling (NYSE: DO)

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

On CAPS, 98% of the 1,123 members who have rated Ensco believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include All-Star vitrified, who is ranked in the top 10% of our community, and Laustcozz.

Just last month, vitrified highlighted Ensco as a yet another super-slick pick:

Drop due to gulf disaster is short- to mid-term. Deep sea drilling will not be permanently banned in the US or elsewhere. Oil demand will only increase.

To be sure, the stock price of Ensco, which derives the vast majority of its business in waters other than the United States', has remained fairly resilient in the wake of the Gulf spill. Despite a slide since the Gulf spill began, Ensco's shares have managed to gain 13% so far in 2010, while Transocean and Diamond Offshore are down about 30% for the year. Of course, with BP (NYSE: BP) continuing to make steady progress in its well-plugging efforts, and the government showing signs that it may lift its deepwater drilling ban early, Ensco probably has less upside than its beaten-down big brothers, going forward.

However, for more conservative Fools willing to trade a little reward for less risk, shareholder-friendly Ensco, whose young jack-up fleet consistently drives excess returns on capital, remains an attractive choice. CAPS member Laustcozz explains, in this pitch from March:

Ensco has managed to do a perfectly fine job maintaining a strong profit throughout the downturn with far less debt than their competitors. ... They seem to have managed to keep their rigs contracted better than their peers and signs look like contract activity is starting to pick up. They also have 4 more cutting edge semisubmersible rigs coming online in the next couple years. If you are an oil bull (which I really don't see how anyone cannot be) expect [Ensco] to soar once oil starts to head back up and they contract out these new rigs.

What do you think about Ensco, 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!