Don't settle for ordinary quarterly reports.
Every week, I take a look at three companies that beat market expectations, since I believe that such outperformance is the biggest factor in a stock beating the market. Leaving Wall Street's pros with stunned expressions can be a good thing. It usually means that the companies have more in the tank than analysts figured. Capital appreciation typically follows.
Let's take a look at a few companies that humbled the prognosticators over the past few trading days.
We can start with Expedia
Expedia enjoyed a 19% uptick in gross travel bookings, which naturally bodes well for its rivals. Orbitz Worldwide
Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Net sales soared 64% as the company's single-cup brews continue to win over coffee lovers interested in convenient premium hot beverages at attractive prices. Some may rightfully argue that Starbucks
Green Mountain also initiated fiscal 2011 bottom-line guidance of $1.15 to $1.20 a share, well ahead of analysts perched at the $1-a-share mark.
Finally we have First Solar
It's important to keep watching companies that surpass expectations. Over time, it will be a lucrative experience for investors, as the market rewards the overachievers. That's the kind of surprise that we look for in the Motley Fool 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.