Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Spanish banking giant Banco Santander (SAN) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Santander facts

Headquarters (founded)

Madrid (1857)

Market Cap

$71.3 billion

Industry

Diversified banks

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

$35.7 billion

Management

Second Vice Chairman/CEO Alfredo Abad
Third Vice Chairman Matias Inciarte

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

8.3%

Cash / Debt

$479.2 billion / $451.3 billion

Dividend Yield

8%

Competitors

Banco Bilbao Vizcya Argentaria
Banco de Chile (BCH -0.41%)HSBC Holdings (HSBC 0.32%)

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

On CAPS, 94% of the 1,217 members who have rated Santander believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Earlier today, one of those Fools, wmansvelt, succinctly summed up the Santander bull case for our community:

Santander in my opinion is very well run. It is diversified and global. [C]urrently there are financial concerns which are global with almost certainly massive inflation almost certain to be universal as almost all countries wish to remain competitive with their exports. ... Governments are doing their best to inflate their way out of debt. Investors place their financial resources in well run companies as they stay ahead of inflation and continue to drive the economy. Santander is one of these and over time, particularly when optimism returns to the markets I expect doing the right things consistently will pay dividends in more than one way.

If you want market-thumping returns, you need to put together the best portfolio you can. Owning exceptional stocks is a surefire way to secure your financial future. Of course, despite a strong four-star rating, Santander may not be your top choice.

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Want to see how well (or not so well) the stocks in this series are performing? Follow the TrackPoisedTo CAPS account.