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 Nike (NYSE: NKE ) . The sultan of swoosh posted a quarterly profit of $1.24 a share, ahead of both the $1.06 a share it earned a year earlier and the $1.16 a share analysts were expecting. The soft economy isn't getting between active consumers and their Air Jordans.
Nike bounced back from a rare miss on the bottom line three months ago, but the companies behind premium athletic apparel haven't had a problem connecting with consumers lately. Under Armour (NYSE: UA ) and lululemon athletica (Nasdaq: LULU ) have consistently landed ahead of Wall Street's guesstimates for several quarters now.
American Greetings (NYSE: AM ) also earned a "Congratulations" card after its latest quarter. The greeting card giant's net income landed at $0.81 a share. The pros were targeting earnings of $0.78 a share. Greeting cards may not seem like a growth business, but international growth and an uptick in licensing helped offset the flattish nature of its stateside card business.
Finally, we have MSC Industrial Direct (NYSE: MSM ) . Being a direct marketer of metal works and other industrial gear isn't without its challenges in an iffy economy, but MSC's holding up just fine. Earnings of $0.97 a share narrowly bested the $0.94 a share Mr. Market was banking on. Shareholders should be used to this by now, since MSC has bested bottom-line estimates for 14 consecutive quarters.
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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