Although we don't believe in timing the market or panicking over market movements, we do like to keep an eye on big changes -- just in case they're material to our investing thesis.

What: Shares of Stericycle (Nasdaq: SRCL) leapt as high as $87.65 in early trading Friday (a near-11% jump) as investors voiced full-throated approval of the medical waste manager's fourth-quarter earnings news. Earnings came in 10% higher than last year, at $0.57 per share.

So what: And yet, Stericycle grew its revenues more than 25%. Is it too much to ask that Stericycle post profit gains in line with revenue growth?

Now what: Perhaps it is. Rather than focus on short-term, quarter-long performance (or for that matter, to trust that gains which appear in the first minutes of post-earnings trading will hold firm), let's take a step back and consider Stericycle's full-year performance. Because as it turns out, that was pretty good indeed.

For full-year fiscal 2010, Stericycle posted 22% growth in revenues, and an almost-as-robust 18% rise in profits. The company cleaned up in the cash-profits department as well, producing free cash flow for the year of $277.5 million. Meanwhile, the company's strong 26% operating profit margin continues to outclass fellow trash-gatherers Waste Management (NYSE: WM) and Republic Services (NYSE: RSG) handily.

On the other hand, Stericycle also costs a whole lot more than the competition. Probably more than it's worth even at an 18% growth rate. My guess? That's why the 11% post-earnings pop in stock price didn't last.

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