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 look at several companies that humbled the prognosticators over the past few trading days.

We'll start with Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ:TTWO). The video game publisher earned a profit of $1.29 a share -- or $1.52 a share on an adjusted basis -- well ahead of the $1.12 a share that Wall Street was expecting.

Take-Two managed to live up to the Grand Theft Auto IV hype -- and exceed it. The record-breaking console game has found 11 million copies shipped to retailers through the end of May. With Electronic Arts (NASDAQ:ERTS) still in acquisitive pursuit, nothing raises the stakes like blowing the market way.

Copart (NASDAQ:CPRT) is another topper. The auctioneer of wrecked cars for scrap salvage earned $0.52 a share in its latest quarter. Mr. Market was in the wrong junkyard, looking for net income to clock in at just $0.48 a share.

Copart has now exceeded analyst profit targets in three of the past four quarters. The automobile industry hasn't exactly been a hotbed of positive surprises lately. Even the proven reseller CarMax (NYSE:KMX) has stumbled lately; it hasn't beaten the market's guesstimates in nearly two years. However, Copart is a more recession-proof winner. As long as there are unfortunate accidents, the company will have scrap to sell.

Finally, we have hhgregg (NYSE:HGG) coming through with electrifying results. The consumer-electronics retailer grew its diluted earnings by 11% to $0.31 a share. Wall Street was looking for flattish results.

It's easy to see why investors weren't holding out hope for much from hhgregg, given the state of its larger superstore rivals. Circuit City (NYSE:CC) has been slumping since last year, and even Best Buy (NYSE:BBY) has proven mortal lately. That makes hhgregg's performance refreshingly surprising.

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.