3 Stocks That Blew the Market Away

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 lululemon athletica (Nasdaq: LULU  ) .

The Canadian retailer of premium athletic wear for women has been selling a ton of its pricey yoga apparel since the recession began lifting. Earnings for its latest quarter soared 70% to $0.46 a share. The pros were striking a pose at $0.38 a share.

Overpriced duds are a good place to be if your brand is hot and consumers are feeling a little more comfortable in updating their wardrobe. Premium denim brand True Religion (Nasdaq: TRLG  ) and sweat-shaking apparel specialist Under Armour (NYSE: UA  ) have also blown past the pros with their latest quarterly profits.

FuelCell Energy (Nasdaq: FCEL  ) also bested Mr. Market. The maker of eco-friendly power plants saw its quarterly revenue soar 72% to $28.6 million in its latest quarter. FuelCell's deficit of $0.10 a share was half of what it posted a year earlier -- and narrower than the $0.12 a share loss that analysts were projecting.

Finally, we have Booz Allen Hamilton (NYSE: BAH  ) getting it right. The government consultant's quarterly profit of $0.36 a share landed comfortably ahead of the $0.28 a share Wall Street was targeting. A healthy order backlog of $10.9 billion also finds the company boosting its outlook for the new fiscal year.

Booz Allen Hamilton had its IPO in November, but it has now beaten the market's bottom-line estimates in both of its quarters as a public company. That's exactly what investors like to see.

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.