Every week, I take a look at a few companies that lapped their profit targets. Leaving Wall Street's pros with quizzical looks on their faces can be a great thing. It usually means that a company has more in the tank than analysts figured -- and capital appreciation often follows.

Let's take a look at a few companies that humbled the prognosticators this past week.

We'll start with Garmin (NASDAQ:GRMN). The GPS giant had no problem finding its way into gift boxes during the holidays. Fueled by its industry-leading position and a major marketing campaign, Garmin saw its fourth-quarter profits soar to $0.82 a share. Analysts were only expecting a profit of $0.58 a share.

Let's give Garmin a little credit. There was weakness in several well-marketed brands over the holidays. Sirius (NASDAQ:SIRI), XM (NASDAQ:XMSR), and Zune all failed to live up to the consumer electronics hype at the retail level this past quarter. Fittingly enough, Garmin's navigation systems were the ones with direction.

Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE:CMG) was another topper. You may already be familiar with the "food with integrity" chain of quick-service Mexican eats. The fast-moving lines and fresh eats exceed customer expectations, but did you know that the company also has a funny way of surpassing Wall Street expectations?

This week marked the fifth consecutive time that Chipotle floored past the market's profit targets. Investors were looking for a profit of $0.28 a share for the quarter. Instead, earnings more than doubled to hit $0.33 a share.

Then we have The Knot (NASDAQ:KNOT). The popular site for wedding planning and online bridal registries saw earnings double to $0.12 a share. That was achieved after backing out a series of favorable charges. Like Chipotle, this is the fifth consecutive quarter in which the company has produced market-thumping results.

So keep watching the companies that lap expectations. Over time, it will be a rewarding experience for investors as the market rewards the overachievers. That's the kind of surprise we look for in the Rule Breakers newsletter service. Want in? Check out a 30-day trial subscription.

Either way, come back next Monday to learn about more stocks that blew the market away.

Garmin is an active Motley Fool Stock Advisor pick. The Knot is a Rule Breakers recommendation.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz is a fan of toppers. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. The Fool has a disclosure policy.