Quarterly reports give a company a chance to make a statement. Sure, most will somehow gravitate toward analyst targets, while an unfortunate batch of others will sadly miss their marks.
Forget about those two groups for a moment. I'm interested in the companies that come in comfortably above Wall Street's forecasts. There is usually something pretty good going on there when a company is doing better than expected.
That said, let's take a closer look at a few of the companies that humbled the prognosticators this past week.
We'll start with Under Armour
If you tuned in to the NFL draft over the weekend, you may have seen a spot or two from Under Armour. The athletic apparel and footwear maker is hoping that its connection with many pro athletes will translate into hobbyist sales. So far, so good.
Akamai
Then we have IHOP
So keep watching the companies that lap expectations. Over time, it will be a rewarding experience for investors. That's the kind of surprise that market watchers relish in the Rule Breakers newsletter service. The strategy has paid off: The average Rule Breakers selection has trounced the S&P 500's market return. Want in? Try out a 30-day trial subscription.
Either way, come back next Monday to learn about more stocks that blew the market away.
Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz is a fan of toppers. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. The Foo l has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.