If you're feeling good about the market, you're not alone. Take my hand as we go over some of this week's more uplifting headlines.

1. Let the sun shine in
Given the choice, Netflix (Nasdaq: NFLX) would rather have couch potatoes than cash cows.

The video service delivered a rare miss on the bottom line this week, but its investment in subscriber acquisitions and building out its digital library will pay off down the road.

Investors seem to agree. The stock soared 13% yesterday, despite coming up short on the bottom line and providing guidance that dramatically ramps up subscriber targets without expanding the company's outlook for revenue and profitability.

Video rental is becoming a more competitive space. There may not be a legitimate contender to Netflix's model of DVDs overnight and unlimited streaming -- sorry, Blockbuster -- but home theater convergence is on the way this holiday season, as tech darlings crank out set-top devices.

Given Netflix's army of 16.9 million subscribers -- and counting -- it'll be hard for anyone else to catch up.

2. Carnitas' way
Chipotle Mexican Grill (NYSE: CMG) is ripping the wrapper off the burrito again.

The quick-service chain for "food with integrity" delivered another monster quarter last nigh. Revenue climbed 23%, fueled by an 11% spike in same-unit sales. Earnings grew even faster, clocking in 41% higher at $1.52 a share.

The results obliterated Wall Street expectations, but what else is new? Fat-cat analysts have been taking a siesta here for a long time.

Time Period

EPS act.

EPS est.

Q3 2010 $1.52 $1.30
Q2 2010 $1.46 $1.39
Q1 2010 $1.19 $0.95
Q4 2009 $0.99 $0.81

Source: Yahoo! Finance.

3. The E*TRADE Baby has some teeth
These may not be the best of times for discount brokers, but E*TRADE (Nasdaq: ETFC) delivered its second consecutive quarterly profit this week.

This may not seem like much of an achievement in an industry where larger rivals remain consistently in the black, but it took three years for E*TRADE to return to profitability. The online brokerage may as well enjoy it.

The news isn't all perfect at E*TRADE. Trading has fallen sharply, and only lowering loan loss reserves could prop up the company's performance. However, it's hard to scoff at positive net income or refreshing improvement in its client loan delinquencies.

E*TRADE is the only one of the major publicly traded discounters expected to post improving results on the bottom line this year. Once again, E*TRADE might as well milk it.

4. Public decency
Wall Street debutantes had a great week.

Contrasting last week's crop of flat performers, several of this week's IPOs are off to blazing starts.

Company

Offer

10/21/10

Gain

TAL Education (NYSE: XRS) $10.00 $14.76 48%
Bravo Brio (Nasdaq: BBRG) $14.00 $15.95 14%
NetSpend (Nasdaq: NTSP) $11.00 $13.50 23%

TAL Education provides online tutoring in China. Bravo Brio is an Ohio-based restaurateur that operates a pair of Italian eateries. NetSpend's specialty is prepaid debit cards. However, this motley crew all have one thing in common: They were winners out of the gate this week.

5. Petting zoo
Shares of Travelzoo (Nasdaq: TZOO) soared 19% yesterday, after the travel deals publisher posted a quarterly profit of $0.22 a share -- twice the $0.11 a share that analysts were expecting.

The stock's had a wild run, nearly tripling off its summertime lows.

Travelzoo isn't like most conventional portals. Instead of booking travel plans, it simply passes on sponsored, vetted, and targeted travel deals to its growing list of opt-in recipients. No rival has come close to matching the popularity of that simple model; 18.7 million subscribers receive Travelzoo's free Top 20 weekly emails.

The view must be nice from up there.