Based on the aggregated intelligence of 180,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, Brazilian mining giant Vale (VALE 1.31%) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Vale facts

Headquarters (founded)

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (1942)

Market Cap

$91.6 billion

Industry

Steel

Trailing-12-Month Revenue

Industrial metals and minerals

Management

CEO Murilo Pinto De Oliveira Ferreira (since 2011)

CFO Luciano Siani Pires (since 2012)

Return on Equity (average, past 3 years)

20.8%

Cash/Debt

$6.4 billion / $33.2 billion

Dividend Yield

4.5%

Competitors

BHP Billiton

Cliffs Natural Resources

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

On CAPS, 97% of the 6,575 members who have rated Vale believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward.

Earlier this week, one of those Fools, dgilber1, succinctly summed up the Vale opportunity for our community:

This large Brazilian company deals in mining and exporting iron ore, manganese, nickel, copper, potassium, phosphate, and nitrogen. China has a growing need for steel and has good relations with Brazil. Also, as the value of the dollar declines, commodities tend to increase in value.

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