Why settle for ordinary quarterly reports?

I take a look at three companies that beat market expectations every week, since I believe that it's the biggest factor in a stock beating the market. Leaving Wall Street's pros with puzzled looks on their faces can be a good thing. It usually means that the companies have more in the tank than analysts figured. Capital appreciation typically follows.

Let's take a look at a few companies that humbled the prognosticators over the past few trading days.

We can start with Google (NASDAQ:GOOG). The world's leading search engine reported that adjusted earnings in its latest quarter soared 33% to $6.79 a share, well ahead of Wall Street's $6.50 a share target.

Google's been extending its lead in search over Yahoo! (NASDAQ:YHOO) and Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT), so don't take Google's glowing performance as an indication that Yahoo! and Mr. Softy will deliver strong numbers this week.

eBay (NASDAQ:EBAY) also made a bid for attention. The PayPal and online marketplace giant posted an adjusted profit of $0.44 a share. Analysts were banking on a $0.40 a share profit, after the dot-com bellwether delivered $0.41 a share in adjusted net income a year earlier. It may not be growing as quickly as MercadoLibre (NASDAQ:MELI), but it's also trading at a substantially lower earnings multiple than its Latin American peer.

Finally, we have Intuitive Surgical (NASDAQ:ISRG) giving the "thumbs up" sign with its robotic arm. The company that is revolutionizing prostatectomies -- and now hysterectomies -- with its surgical robotics is rolling again. Intuitive Surgical's fourth-quarter earnings rose 54% to $1.95 a share. The pros were expecting $1.71 a share on the bottom line.

So, keep watching the companies that surpass 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.