3 Stocks That Blew the Market Away

Every week, I take a look at a few companies that lapped their profit targets. Leaving Wall Street's pros with quizzical looks on their faces can be a good thing. It usually means the companies have more in the tank than analysts figured, and capital appreciation often follows.

Let's take a look at a few companies that humbled the prognosticators this past week.

We can start with GameStop (NYSE:GME). The video game retailer earned $0.14 a share in its latest quarter, well ahead of the $0.02 per share it earned a year ago and the $0.09 a share the pros were looking for this time around. Then again, it's hard not to blow projections into smithereens when you post a jaw-dropping 29% surge in comps.

Yes, folks are buying all of the hot new consoles. They are also trading in their old systems at GameStop, and that resale market is even more lucrative for the chain than the new stuff.

Another company that came out on top when it comes to the bottom line was Intuit (NASDAQ:INTU). Sure, it may have posted a loss of $0.02 per share, but it was better than the $0.05-per-share deficit the pros were banking on. Keep in mind that Intuit's accounting and tax preparation products are easier sells during the fiscal quarters that end in January and April. This is the seasonal lull for the company, so it's good to see it watching its pennies like a good bean counter should.

Finally, we have BJ's (NYSE:BJ). The warehouse club chain let us know that thrifty things sell well in large amounts, earning $0.46 a share in its latest quarter. Wall Street was packing its bags at the $0.41-per-share mark. Like Costco (NASDAQ:COST) and Wal-Mart's (NYSE:WMT) Sam's Club, BJ's is seen as an all-weather retailer. If the economy tanks, we'll still need food, and warehouse clubs offer necessary savings.

So, keep watching the companies that lap expectations. Over time, it will be a rewarding experience for investors as the market rewards the overachievers. That's the kind of surprise 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.

Wal-Mart is a stock pick in Inside Value, while Costco and GameStop are Motley Fool Stock Advisor recommendations. Any newsletter can be yours for the next 30 days with a free trial subscription offer.

Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz is a fan of toppers. He does not own shares in any of the companies in this story. He is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early. The Fool has a disclosure policy.