3 Stocks That Blew the Market Away

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 Ciena (Nasdaq: CIEN). Pro forma profits tripled to $0.48 a share, lapping the pros perched at the $0.42-a-share mark. Unfortunately, the networking equipment specialist also posted an uninspiring outlook for the year ahead, but at least it got its rearview mirror clean.

Cherokee (Nasdaq: CHKE) is another topper. The apparel distributor earned $0.41 a share in its latest quarter, comfortably ahead of the market's $0.35-per-share target. The company's clothing can be found at Target (NYSE: TGT) and Britain's Tesco. That makes Cherokee an intriguing proxy for Target, especially given its thick margins (since the company farms out most of the grunt work behind its signature brands) and fat 9.2% dividend yield.

Finally we have Jos A. Bank (Nasdaq: JOSB), dressed for success. The high-end clothing retailer earned $0.38 a share heading into the holidays, a healthy showing relative to the $0.33 a share that Wall Street was settling for.

Can it be? Are two of the three toppers this week really apparel plays? You bet. It may not be a flashy sector. During a week in which Ross Stores (Nasdaq: ROST) was booted from the Nasdaq 100, and VF (NYSE: VFC) hit a new low for the year after shuffling up its executives, investors should be stoked to find some rivals moving in the right direction.

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.

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