Based on the aggregated intelligence of 135,000-plus investors participating in Motley Fool CAPS, the Fool's free investing community, The Bank of Ireland (NYSE:IRE) has earned a respected four-star ranking.

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

Bank of Ireland facts

Headquarters (Founded)

Dublin, Ireland (1783)

Market Cap

$2.9 Billion

Industry

Foreign Banks

Trailing-12-Month Net Interest Income

$4.9 Billion

Management

CEO Richie Bouche (Since 2005)

CFO John O'Donovan (Since 2001)

Return on Equity (Average, Past Five Years)

16.7%

Dividend Yield

2.5%

Competitors

Allied Irish Banks (NYSE:AIB)

Royal Bank of Scotland (NYSE:RBS)

CAPS Members Bullish on IRE Also Bullish on

Bank of America (NYSE:BAC)

General Electric (NYSE:GE)

CAPS Members Bearish on IRE Also Bearish on

Citigroup (NYSE:C)

Fifth Third Bancorp (NASDAQ:FITB)

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

On CAPS, 264 of the 272 All-Star members who have rated Bank of Ireland -- 97% -- believe the stock will outperform the S&P 500 going forward. These bulls include mode7 and TSIF, both of whom are ranked in the top 2% of our community.

Last month, mode7 tapped Bank of Ireland as a favorable bet to earn Fools some green:

Ireland had a very similar real estate boom to the US, so it will probably be around five years before real estate recovers, so we'll see. It seems the Irish banks were overexposed in real estate. Ireland adopted the Euro a few years ago, so I think that vastly improved their chances of weathering this economic storm.

In a pitch from three days ago, TSIF keeps his Irish eyes on the long-term prize:

[A]lthough Ireland is deep in this recession, saddled with unemployment and getting their credit rating lowered, I think the Bank of Ireland will recover without too much more of their government's help. … Valuing banks is impossible. Valuing international banks even more so. Still, I think that the Bank of Ireland with its diversification in the UK has a good chance of coming out of this with their heads up.

What do you think about Bank of Ireland, 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 get started!