Don't settle for ordinary quarterly reports.
I take a look at three companies that beat market expectations every week, since I believe that it's 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 Daktronics (Nasdaq: DAKT ) scoring one against Mr. Market. The scoreboard maker reversed a year-ago deficit by posting net income of $0.07 a share. Analysts figured that Daktronics would only be good for earnings of $0.05 a share.
The Fresh Market (Nasdaq: TFM ) also landed ahead of the pros, generating an adjusted profit of $0.30 a share when Wall Street was settling for a profit of $0.20 a share. It's been a good time to run an upscale supermarket, as The Fresh Market and Whole Foods Market (Nasdaq: WFM ) have both rattled off several consecutive quarters of beating estimates.
The downside to The Fresh Market's report is that the premium grocer reiterated its full-year guidance despite the first-quarter beat. Skeptics interpreted that move as a sign of weakness for the balance of the year.
Joy Global (Nasdaq: JOYG ) , on the other hand, did get it right. The maker of mining equipment bumped its profit outlook for 2011 higher after posting quarterly earnings of $1.52 a share, 32% ahead of last year's showing and comfortably ahead of the $1.35 a share that analysts were targeting.
It's important to keep watching the 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 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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