Let’s face it, you want the best. Nobody ever goes to the car dealership and asks for the worst car they can buy for the money. You don’t go to the steakhouse and order bone-in chuck. Nor do you go on vacation to Flint, Michigan in February.  So when you’re looking for the next stock to make big bucks on, why not look for something that’s been performing well? Especially when this market has shaken so many people down to the core and in some cases, shaking their pockets empty as well.

Maybe I’m spoiled living in Chicago, looking up at the countless banners in the United Center (expecting another to arrive in a couple months) and expecting the best. Heck, even the Cubs are going to make the playoffs. With the market digging out of the trench made on August 24th, I want to find the best performing stocks. I want to know the stocks that showed unwavering strength in the face of adversity. I want stocks with style, class, and bravado. Simply put, I demand the best.

I ran a screen here to come up with the strongest stocks over the last month. These are Zacks Rank #1 (Strong Buy) and Zacks Rank #2 (Buy) stocks that have been destroying the market. While others have cowered and collapsed, these stocks aren’t just holding up, they are thriving in these conditions. It’s these kinds of stock ideas that are sure to keep on trucking as the market continues to show strength.

Energy Focus (EFOI - Snapshot Report)

Energy Focus, Inc. is a leading provider of energy efficient LED lighting products and a developer of energy efficient lighting technology. Our LED Lighting products provide energy savings, aesthetics, safety and maintenance cost benefits over conventional lighting. Our long-standing relationship with the U.S. Government continues to enable us to provide energy efficient LED lighting products to the U.S. Navy and the Military Sealift Command fleets. Customers include national, state and local U.S. government agencies as well as Fortune 500 companies and many other commercial and industrial clients.

Every time it looks like shares of EFOI are going to settle down they just keep on trucking. Now volume has picked up considerably while the stock continues to break higher. Shares have already doubled in the last month making this incredible stock one of the top performers of the year.

Biotelemetry (BEAT - Snapshot Report)

BioTelemetry provides cardiac monitoring services, cardiac monitoring device manufacturing, and centralized cardiac core laboratory services. Since the Company became focused on cardiac monitoring in 1999, the Company has developed a proprietary integrated patient management platform that incorporates a wireless data transmission network, Food and Drug Administration ("FDA") cleared algorithms and medical devices, and 24-hour digital monitoring service centers.

If you’re looking for the next EFOI, you’ve got a pretty good candidate here. Volume has picked up considerably since the 4th of July and price has run up from below $9 to over $16. That’s a huge move upward during a time where the market has been very volatile. This stock is bucking the trend and setting its own path. Support looks to be down at $14.50 in case this thing starts to back up a bit. The commodity channel index is a bit overbought but you’d expect that giving the huge move in the stock.

OHR Pharmaceutical (OHRP - Snapshot Report)

Ohr Pharmaceutical Inc. is a pharmaceutical company dedicated to the clinical development of new drugs for underserved therapeutic needs in large and growing markets. The Company is focused on advancing its pipeline products currently in phase II clinical development: Squalamine Eye Drops for the treatment of the wet form of age-related macular degeneration, and OHR/AVR118 for the treatment of cancer cachexia.

Here I may have found a stock that used to be promising that people have given up on. Well it looks like it’s beginning to come to life as shares have appreciated handsomely over the last month. Bad news dropped the stock from $9 all the way to below in a single day. The month of August has been kind as shares bottomed out near $.25 to rally to nearly $3.50 two days ago. Recent resistance near $4.25 could be a magnet for the next quick pop.

Sprint (S - Analyst Report)

Sprint is a communications services company that creates more and better ways to connect its customers to the things they care about most. Sprint is widely recognized for developing, engineering and deploying innovative technologies, including the first wireless 4G service from a national carrier in the United States; leading no-contract brands including Virgin Mobile USA, Boost Mobile, and Assurance Wireless; instant national and international push-to-talk capabilities; and a global Tier 1 Internet backbone. 

Sprint was beat down heading into August. Shares broke down below the $3.80 level that provided support last December and found themselves down near $3. But the buyers stepped in and have pushed the stock all the way back above $5. A big chunk of volume out at $4.70 provides staunch downside support giving you a very favorable risk/reward right here.

Vera Bradley (VRA - Snapshot Report)

Vera Bradley is a leading designer, producer, marketer and retailer of stylish and highly-functional accessories for women. Their products include a wide offering of handbags, accessories and travel and leisure items. Over their 33-year history, Vera Bradley has become a true lifestyle brand that appeals to a broad range of consumers. Their brand vision is accessible luxury that inspires a casual, fun and family-oriented lifestyle.

The last stock on the list here is also one of those turnaround stories. After dropping from the $20s to a little over $9, VRA caught a bid. A great earnings report saw shares leapfrog the $11 level to settle in the low $13s where it trades today. With a moving average crossover occurring between the 21 day and the 50 day, perhaps the trend is changing. Support lies at the top of the earnings gap at $12.

Bottom Line

If you want to be the best you need to beat the best. These stocks have outperformed the market over the last month and continue to show strength. With the power of the Zacks Rank behind them, who knows how much further they could rally.