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 good thing. It usually means that the companies have 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 can start with Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL). The enterprise software giant earned $0.22 per share in its latest quarter, slightly ahead of the $0.21 per share that was expected and comfortably ahead of the $0.18-a-share profit it produced a year earlier. Beating by a penny may not seem like much, but Oracle has now beaten Wall Street's bottom-line targets in eight of the last nine quarters.

Adobe (NASDAQ:ADBE) is another topper. The publishing software giant earned $0.45 a share during its fiscal third quarter. The showing blew to bits the $0.40-per-share mark where the pros were perched. You don't need to Photoshop the company's results -- it has beaten market projections in 22 of the past 23 quarters.

Software isn't always an easy ride. Adobe is now battling Microsoft's (NASDAQ:MSFT) initiatives to supplant some of Adobe's standards. Meanwhile, you have Oracle coming up against Web-delivered discounters like Salesforce.com (NYSE:CRM). Until these companies are proven mortal, though, you have to let the favorable momentum warm your bullish thoughts.

Finally, we have Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) pumping up the volume. Many consumer electronics chains, such as Circuit City (NYSE:CC) and RadioShack (NYSE:RSH), have been putting the "woof" in "woofer," but market leader Best Buy is doing a whole lot better. It earned $0.55 a share in its latest quarter, sharply ahead of analyst estimates of $0.44 per share.

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.