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Wal-Mart Stores
Wal-Mart Stores
Return: +8.6%

Love it or hate it, you probably wish you owned a piece of Wal-Mart. The Bentonville, Ark.-based chain of discounters topped the Fortune 500 last year, and stands a good chance of reclaiming its crown in 2008. Wal-Mart isn't only beating the market - it's beating its own performance. Not counting gasoline sales, the company posted a 3.1% increase in same-store sales last quarter - triple last year's growth.

NEXT: PNC Financial
Last updated October 13 2008: 4:43 PM ET
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