10 Stocks Shaking the Market

Some stocks are one-hit wonders, making a big splash when they first appear, then quickly fizzling into obscurity or oblivion. But for other stocks, that initial big move is only a preview for even bigger and better gains to come.

Today, we've compiled 10 stocks that made some of the biggest upward moves over the past month. We'll then pair that list with the ratings issued by our Motley Fool CAPS community. The higher each stock's rating, the greater CAPS members' faith in that company's ability to keep on beating the market.

30-day % change from July 17 to Aug. 18.

As the markets whipsaw to changes in consumer sentiment, there will be weeks like this one where we see gains that are exceptionally ahead of the pace of the movers and shakers of prior weeks. So before we get shaken out again, let's see why the CAPS community thinks some of these companies might outperform the market.

A mighty temblor
Both Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae soared the other day, accounting for almost a fifth of the New York Stock Exchange's volume. Yet there was no news to warrant such spikes leading analysts to speculate investors are using the two stocks as a proxy for the market's future movements.

Despite the precarious financial position both government-owned companies find themselves in, CAPS member knblizzard represents that market-aligned thinking in rating Freddie to outperform:

I am enjoying this stock. I bought this at $1.34 a share and I believe this will continue to grow. We are still in tough times but we are starting to see some light at this tunnel. Look for a very slight loss for the quarter and the stock will shoot up even higher. With assets at 5.6T even if they sold off tons of assets, they have too much. I enjoy the negative hype, push it lower. I am looking to buy more before it goes up to much more then I am holding on until I get tired of making money lol.

Highly rated CAPS All-Star 4everlost takes a more pragmatic view of Fannie's fortunes, believing that with an 80% stake in the housing lender, the government isn't going to let the company go under:

There are two things that can happen to FNM. One, they go broke and are put out of business. Or, two, they stay in existence and refine their business model, get back on track, get acquired, etc.

The Gov't. is not going to allow them to go broke and out of business. So the odds of the price of the stock going up are much higher than the odds of it going down. In addition, the toxic assets that have been absorbed by the Govt/taxpayers and they have a virtually endless supply of capital.

Still feeling the aftershocks
Insurer Conseco rose from its deathbed earlier this year to become a latter-day Lazarus, and it's been causing tremors in the markets for the past few months. While it can't escape the deterioration in the financial markets, its recent earnings report didn't disappoint investors looking for a continued turnaround. At $13.2 million its investment losses continued to be substantial, but they were narrower than a year ago, even including a greater than $36 million other-than-temporary impairment that was recognized in its earnings. Net operating profits also soared 62% and accelerating growth in collected life insurance premiums hints at a profitable future.

In the face of tough times, CAPS member exodus69 sees Conseco doing the right thing to turn its business around.

Market condition stabilizing and improving mid-term. Can see significant PPS advancement. Surprising 2Q profit. Good sign that company is making an effort of turning their business around despite economic hardship.

Shake, rattle, and roll
With these stocks shaking the market this past month it pays to start your own research on them at Motley Fool CAPS. Read a company's financial reports, scrutinize key data and charts, and examine the comments your fellow investors have made -- all from a stock's CAPS page.