(FORTUNE Magazine) – No doubt about it, these champions of capitalism are nothing if not high-wire acts. Sure, there are returning stars like Starbucks Corp. (No 77), which for years has shown that focused management and the deft milking of a consumer niche will keep profits racing (see Smart Managing). But this year there are many new faces too. Rising demand for hydrocarbons landed more than a dozen energy companies, including Global Marine (No.1), on our list. Technology outfits, from chipmakers like Semtech (No. 11) to PC retailer CompUSA (No. 3), make a big show too, of course. And health-care companies including HealthSouth (No. 45) come on strong partly due to consolidation. Alas, today's headlines are littered with past alumni that blew a tire in the fast lane. The culprits? Take your pick: technological obsolescence, shifting public tastes, management screwups. In the case of onetime perennial Columbia/HCA Healthcare, wildly ambitious growth targets eventually had federal agents crawling all over this hospital company.

We've made some improvements to this year's list. Zacks Investment Research screened 9,500 companies, ranking them by three years' earnings-per-share growth, using a statistical tool called least squares analysis to smooth out distortions. In years past, our primary benchmark was sales. Our new methodology still requires rapid sales growth--30% or better--but ranks companies on the number investors prize most.

EARNINGS NET PER SHARE INCOME 100 COMPANY ANNUAL Past four RANK GROWTH quarters RATE (millions) Rank

1 GLOBAL MARINE 327% $304.0 3 2 HARNISCHFEGER INDUSTRIES 315% $133.3 9 3 COMPUSA 296% $93.9 17 4 EVI 263% $122.2 12 5 RENT WAY 262% $4.5 96 6 JUST FOR FEET 232% $19.9 59 7 EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS 232% $8.1 86 8 LCI INTERNATIONAL 231% $83.8 22 9 YORK RESEARCH 230% $10.6 76 10 UNITED STATES CELLULAR 209% $87.7 19 11 SEMTECH 207% $8.6 83 12 PLAINS RESOURCES 204% $16.5 62 13 WIND RIVER SYSTEMS 202% $12.8 69 14 THERMOTREX 182% $28.5 52 15 MCAFEE ASSOCIATES 182% $71.9 27 16 PAIRGAIN TECHNOLOGIES 161% $45.9 34 17 TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS 161% $15.3 65 18 CLIFFS DRILLING 148% $29.3 51 19 BJ SERVICES 146% $86.1 20 20 HOLOGIC 144% $15.9 64 21 COPART 144% $11.4 72 22 WHITEHALL 142% $4.6 95 23 JABIL CIRCUIT 140% $41.0 40 24 MASTEC 138% $40.1 42 25 MODTECH 138% $8.6 84 26 PRESSTEK 135% $10.3 77 27 BENTON OIL & GAS 131% $31.3 49 28 CHIPS & TECHNOLOGIES 122% $36.2 46 29 PREPAID LEGAL SERVICES 118% $15.1 66 30 LEAR 114% $179.0 6 31 COHERENT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS 113% $11.4 73 32 ZOLTEK 107% $11.3 74 33 SWIFT ENERGY 104% $23.2 56 34 SMITH INTERNATIONAL 103% $81.6 23 35 AMERICREDIT 101% $38.7 43 36 DVI 101% $8.9 82 37 NOBLE AFFILIATES 100% $95.9 16 38 JLG INDUSTRIES 99% $50.1 33 39 HA-LO INDUSTRIES 96% $9.5 81 40 SANMINA 95% $38.3 44 41 GLEASON 95% $21.1 57 42 INNOVEX 95% $31.2 50 43 PRIDE INTERNATIONAL 94% $85.7 21 44 UNITED STATES FILTER 94% $58.9 29 45 HEALTHSOUTH 93% $269.3 4 46 ACTION PERFORMANCE 93% $7.3 88 47 DELL COMPUTER 90% $634.0 1 48 MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS 88% $137.0 8 49 TOM BROWN 85% $12.4 70 50 SEMICONDUCTOR PKG. MATERIALS 85% $2.9 98 51 ALTERA 83% $127.2 11 52 TETRA TECHNOLOGIES 81% $14.7 67 53 QUANTUM 80% $241.2 5 54 TRANSOCEAN OFFSHORE 80% $96.4 15 55 MEDICAL RESOURCES 79% $12.1 71 56 S3 79% $45.5 35 57 II-VI 78% $7.1 89 58 CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS 78% $18.6 60 59 STERIS 77% $52.7 31 60 OXFORD HEALTH PLANS 76% $130.2 10 61 ULTRAK 76% $7.7 87 62 FORE SYSTEMS 76% $35.1 48 63 SCI SYSTEMS 75% $112.8 13 64 ATC COMMUNICATIONS GROUP 74% $5.9 93 65 BOSTON CHICKEN 73% $74.1 26 66 REGAL CINEMAS 70% $37.0 45 67 CORRECTIONS CORP. OF AMERICA 69% $41.8 39 68 SYLVAN LEARNING SYSTEMS 69% $20.1 58 69 RICHTON INTERNATIONAL 68% $1.8 99 70 HIGH PLAINS 67% $10.2 78 71 ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING 66% $78.7 24 72 PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT 65% $5.5 94 73 ATMEL 64% $172.7 7 74 PEOPLESOFT 63% $55.0 30 75 NUEVO ENERGY 63% $43.1 38 76 TECHNITROL 62% $35.9 47 77 STARBUCKS 61% $51.4 32 78 ATCHISON CASTING 60% $9.7 79 79 LOMAK PETROLEUM 60% $16.2 63 80 ROBBINS & MYERS 60% $26.1 55 81 ZYGO 59% $1.5 100 82 STAPLES 58% $102.0 14 83 WARRANTECH 58% $4.0 97 84 CAMBRIDGE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS 57% $26.8 54 85 ZYTEC 56% $10.8 75 86 THERMEDICS 56% $40.4 41 87 TODD AO 56% $6.0 92 88 BLYTH INDUSTRIES 55% $43.7 37 89 DUCOMMUN 55% $13.1 68 90 SEACOR SMIT 54% $87.8 18 91 RICHEY ELECTRONICS 54% $7.0 90 92 CDW COMPUTER CENTERS 54% $44.4 36 93 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL 53% $75.8 25 94 GIBRALTAR STEEL 52% $17.6 61 95 3COM 51% $374.0 2 96 CALIFORNIA STATE BANK 51% $8.1 85 97 ULTRATECH STEPPER 51% $27.7 53 98 CHRONIMED 50% $7.0 91 99 KLA-TENCOR 50% $69.6 28 100 URS 50% $9.7 80

REVENUES STOCK VALUATION Pro- Annual Past four Share P/E jected Market growth quarters price est. three- value rate (millions)8/29/97 one to five- Change year year (mill- from forward EPS ions) year growth Rank Rank earlier [GLOBAL MARINE] 38% $841.2 $28.44 15 19% $4,853 76 21 98% [HARNISCHFEGER 38% $3,007.1 $40.13 10 14% $1,923 INDUSTRIES] 77 9 6% [COMPUSA] 31% $4,610.5 $30.94 24 25% $2,922 99 5 54% [EVI] 35% $643.9 $52.56 22 25% $2,401 92 27 220% [RENT WAY] 91% $77.5 $18.13 19 26% $120 15 85 32% [JUST FOR FEET] 117% $354.6 $13.13 13 34% $393 6 46 -56% [EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS] 126% $696.1 $5.25 N.A. 30% $173 4 26 -69%

[LCI INTERNATIONAL] 49% $1,236.1 $24.00 20 27% $1,873 53 14 -32% [YORK RESEARCH] 105% $89.7 $7.88 9 N.A. $108 11 83 -23% [UNITED STATES CELLULAR]45% $787.3 $30.25 20 32% $2,607 63 22 0% [SEMTECH] 49% $70.3 $59.13 29 25% $358 58 90 622% [PLAINS RESOURCES] 54% $745.6 $18.25 22 12% $303 35 25 34% [WIND RIVER SYSTEMS] 36% $69.8 $42.88 59 37% $1,083 83 91 85% [THERMOTREX] 52% $259.3 $25.44 24 28% $488 38 55 -32% [MCAFEE ASSOCIATES] 118% $266.1 $56.63 26 41% $2,849 5 54 42% [PAIRGAIN 80% $254.8 $25.75 34 33% $1,753 TECHNOLOGIES] 18 56 -22% [TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS] 45% $177.9 $17.88 14 21% $227 62 64 55% [CLIFFS DRILLING] 37% $210.3 $47.69 13 20% $733 81 61 235% [BJ SERVICES] 50% $1,389.7 $72.25 22 22% $2,770 50 12 92% [HOLOGIC] 52% $106.4 $24.25 15 27% $312 40 77 -39% [COPART] 107% $128.1 $18.50 17 19% $240 8 74 13% [WHITEHALL] 35% $62.4 $23.75 N.A. N.A. $136 90 96 46% [JABIL CIRCUIT] 41% $847.0 $59.25 29 28% $2,245 73 20 867% [MASTEC] 76% $573.3 $46.69 20 29% $1,217 20 30 137% [MODTECH] 57% $96.1 $19.00 15 23% $122 33 82 127% [PRESSTEK] 74% $66.7 $40.00 75 N.A. $1,265 21 92 26% [BENTON OIL & GAS] 136% $177.5 $15.94 15 11% $496 3 65 -20% [CHIPS & TECHNOLOGIES] 37% $168.3 $16.81 23 N.A. $368 80 67 52% [PREPAID LEGAL 50% $74.7 $23.75 23 N.A. $528 SERVICES] 49 88 58% [LEAR] 42% $6,787.9 $45.81 14 17% $3,586 69 2 19% [COHERENT 35% $63.9 $23.50 22 30% $356 COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS] 89 95 21% [ZOLTEK] 105% $89.6 $45.00 37 53% $729 10 84 41% [SWIFT ENERGY] 43% $75.2 $25.94 14 28% $397 67 87 4% [SMITH INTERNATIONAL] 51% $1,388.2 $72.75 26 18% $2,931 47 13 109% [AMERICREDIT] 114% $137.8 $26.75 16 23% $781 7 72 62% [DVI] 59% $64.3 $14.56 14 19% $161 30 94 4% [NOBLE AFFILIATES] 51% $1,092.3 $46.38 29 15% $2,637 43 16 16% [JLG INDUSTRIES] 51% $511.0 $11.69 15 14% $510 48 34 -38% [HA-LO INDUSTRIES] 96% $315.4 $25.13 28 28% $418 14 48 26% [SANMINA] 51% $369.5 $79.25 28 28% $1,361 45 43 126% [GLEASON] 39% $246.1 $54.63 N.A. N.A. $271 75 57 37% [INNOVEX] 60% $132.2 $33.63 13 30% $485 29 73 305% [PRIDE INTERNATIONAL] 49% $544.9 $32.00 18 18% $1,495 56 32 123% [UNITED STATES FILTER] 106% $1,751.9 $35.94 25 26% $2,714 9 11 38% [HEALTHSOUTH] 52% $2,673.7 $24.94 22 23% $8,554 41 10 54% [ACTION PERFORMANCE] 80% $97.3 $32.88 26 29% $510 19 81 183% [DELL COMPUTER] 43% $8,709.0 $82.06 29 28% $30,199 68 1 389% [MAXIM INTEGRATED 48% $433.7 $69.13 28 28% $4,460 PRODUCTS] 59 36 125% [TOM BROWN] 51% $102.7 $24.50 52 43% $587 42 79 53% [SEMICONDUCTOR PKG. 64% $53.4 $11.75 10 27% $70 MATERIALS] 25 99 12% [ALTERA] 55% $550.5 $53.25 26 29% $4,693 34 31 142% [TETRA TECHNOLOGIES] 37% $189.2 $21.00 14 23% $270 79 63 18% [QUANTUM] 33% $5,612.1 $35.06 11 20% $4,636 96 4 356% [TRANSOCEAN OFFSHORE] 36% $766.5 $95.06 19 29% $4,868 82 23 74% [MEDICAL RESOURCES] 49% $149.4 $16.13 17 24% $326 57 70 95% [S3] 65% $498.5 $16.06 18 24% $797 24 35 9% [II-VI] 42% $52.7 $25.50 19 25% $161 72 100 42% [CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS] 46% $299.2 $14.13 21 23% $480 61 50 -51% [STERIS] 167% $615.1 $37.50 19 21% $1,273 1 28 22% [OXFORD HEALTH PLANS] 104% $3,741.0 $73.13 32 35% $5,762 12 7 60% [ULTRAK] 34% $159.8 $10.56 18 20% $140 95 69 -56% [FORE SYSTEMS] 149% $407.4 $20.44 53 33% $2,009 2 37 -42% [SCI SYSTEMS] 51% $5,761.2 $39.31 17 22% $2,323 46 3 76% [ATC COMMUNICATIONS 70% $106.4 $4.44 15 30% $95 GROUP] 23 78 -74% [BOSTON CHICKEN] 73% $386.0 $12.31 10 27% $791 22 41 -65% [REGAL CINEMAS] 35% $310.0 $28.38 19 23% $943 91 49 14% [CORRECTIONS CORP. 42% $360.7 $37.00 37 51% $3,106 OF AMERICA] [SYLVAN LEARNING 83% $192.5 $37.38 32 36% $1,035 SYSTEMS] 16 62 53% [RICHTON INTERNATIONAL] 39% $99.4 $5.13 N.A. N.A. $15 74 80 34% [HIGH PLAINS] 36% $60.6 $3.88 8 13% $62 87 97 -6% [ELECTRONICS FOR 50% $357.0 $53.50 27 28% $2,755 IMAGING] 52 45 69% [PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT] 35% $66.2 $6.38 9 N.A. $67 88 93 137% [ATMEL] 62% $1,039.3 $35.38 22 26% $3,511 27 18 37% [PEOPLESOFT] 98% $603.1 $56.25 55 46% $6,186 13 29 47% [NUEVO ENERGY] 52% $386.5 $50.81 25 19% $999 39 40 36% [TECHNITROL] 38% $339.3 $34.00 18 15% $547 78 47 123% [STARBUCKS] 53% $892.6 $41.00 43 36% $3,232 37 19 25% [ATCHISON CASTING] 44% $245.8 $19.31 11 11% $146 65 58 33% [LOMAK PETROLEUM] 63% $118.5 $17.63 21 20% $359 26 75 40% [ROBBINS & MYERS] 59% $380.3 $32.63 11 12% $357 31 42 48% [ZYGO] 51% $76.9 $31.00 21 30% $323 44 86 82% [STAPLES] 44% $4,459.7 $23.50 24 30% $3,824 64 6 19% [WARRANTECH] 54% $177.3 $11.00 19 30% $144 36 66 56% [CAMBRIDGE TECHNOLOGY 81% $287.4 $32.25 40 44% $1,581 PARTNERS] 17 51 14% [ZYTEC] 34% $235.3 $29.50 22 N.A. $303 93 59 203% [THERMEDICS] 36% $283.2 $18.38 24 25% $716 85 53 -33% [TODD AO] 36% $74.1 $8.75 11 20% $79 84 89 -31% [BLYTH INDUSTRIES] 49% $535.9 $36.94 28 27% $1,756 55 33 20% [DUCOMMUN] 31% $140.4 $37.25 21 22% $273 98 71 124% [SEACOR SMIT] 60% $286.1 $54.13 9 21% $748 28 52 19% [RICHEY ELECTRONICS] 47% $225.8 $10.13 11 20% $92 60 60 1% [CDW COMPUTER CENTERS] 50% $1,104.8 $72.88 28 29% $1,569 51 15 12% [ROBERT HALF 42% $1,086.4 $58.38 37 26% $3,530 INTERNATIONAL] 70 17 77% [GIBRALTAR STEEL] 30% $402.0 $26.75 15 20% $330 100 38 35% [3COM] 57% $3,147.1 $49.94 19 28% $16,579 32 8 7% [CALIFORNIA STATE BANK] 34% $60.4 $30.38 18 N.A. $163 94 98 99% [ULTRATECH STEPPER] 44% $166.8 $28.75 21 31% $582 66 68 89% [CHRONIMED] 36% $117.2 $9.75 20 18% $115 86 76 -20% [KLA-TENCOR] 49% $749.8 $70.88 29 22% $5,843 54 24 259% [URS] 32% $387.4 $16.06 14 10% $164 97 39 107%

WHAT THEY DO Companies on list [Triangle] Technology 35 [Square] Energy 18 [Upside-down triangle] Industrial 16 [Cross] Health Care 8 [Diamond] Retail 7 [Circle] Other 16

[GLOBAL MARINE] [Energy] Surging day rates for its premier fleet of 28 oil rigs are causing cash flow and earnings to gush--a far cry from its bankruptcy days a decade ago.

[HARNISCHFEGER INDUSTRIES] [Industrial] This maker of machinery for the mining and paper industries binged on acquisitions and rebounded from poor earnings. But analysts predict a slowdown.

[COMPUSA] [Retail] Talk about rebooting. Near bankruptcy three years ago, this giant computer retailer cut costs and delved into profitable new businesses like software training.

[EVI] [Energy] EVI's barges, which drill for oil in the swamps around New Orleans, helped it profit from rising hydrocarbon demand. So did its equipment-supply business.

[RENT WAY] [Retail] A "rent-to-own" furniture seller that has grown by gobbling up rivals. But the industry is plagued by legal issues, and some states ban the sales technique.

[JUST FOR FEET] [Retail] Its shoe stores sport basketball courts, walls of video monitors, loud music, and--oh, yeah--tons of sneakers. Slowing EPS growth slammed its stock.

[EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS] [Other] This staff-leasing company is looking for legal solutions because of a class-action suit alleging it underreserved for its workers' comp business.

[LCI INTERNATIONAL] [Technology] Marketing costs are kept low at this telecom outfit by peddling phone service through independent agents, who get a tiny percentage of each phone bill.

[YORK RESEARCH] [Energy] Need a light? The buyout of an electric utility brokerage business amped up this power producer's sales. A big plant in Brooklyn begins churning this fall.

[UNITED STATES CELLULAR] [Technology] Like phoning your broker as you camp under the stars? Thank this cellular-service provider, which is a major player in rural areas, a big growth market.

[SEMTECH] [Technology] Cheap pricing has helped this manufacturer of analog semiconductors boost market share among PC motherboard makers in Taiwan and other countries.

[PLAINS RESOURCES] [Energy] Nifty technology allows Plains Resources to squeeze out the hidden crude from older oilfields that larger energy companies find uneconomical to exploit.

[WIND RIVER SYSTEMS] [Technology] Wind River shares shot to the stars this summer--as did some of its specialized computer products. The Mars Pathfinder probe uses its Tornado software.

[THERMOTREX] [Health Care] Hair today, gone tomorrow. A developer of mammography and biopsy gear, its new hot product is a personal laser-based hair-removal system.

[MCAFEE ASSOCIATES] [Technology] McAfee's antivirus software is the cure for the computer network's common cold. What's more, this cyberwise outfit distributes its products over the Web.

[PAIRGAIN TECHNOLOGIES] [Technology] Pairgain's CEO once quipped that everyone thinks it's "in the breast-enlargement business." Nope. It makes switches used in telecommunications.

[TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS] [Technology] With such blue-chip Asian clients as Fujitsu and Matsushita, this maker of computer graphics gear and multimedia circuits is going gangbusters.

[CLIFFS DRILLING] [Energy] This oil services and engineering outfit has zeroed in on crude-rich Venezuela, where most of its foreign sales come from. It also operates in the U.S.

[BJ SERVICES] [Energy] Pump boys finally get some respect: This specialist in pressure pumping helps big oil companies do their thing and benefits from increased drilling activity.

[HOLOGIC] [Health Care] Increasing awareness of osteoporosis and other bone diseases has helped Hologic boost sales of its specialized X-ray machines, which gauge bone mass.

[COPART] [Other] This auto-salvage outfit refurbishes and resells cars that would otherwise get junked. An acquisition streak and new outlets have goosed returns.

[WHITEHALL] [Other] As the outsourcing of aircraft maintenance has soared, so have Whitehall's earnings. Shares recently got a boost with the spinoff of its electronics business.

[JABIL CIRCUIT] [Technology] Outsourcing mania has hot-wired earnings growth at this maker of circuit boards for the personal computer, auto, and communications industries.

[MASTEC] [Industrial] Building networks for the phone, cable TV, and wireless industries has supercharged earnings. New growth will come from south of the border.

[MODTECH] [Industrial] No one is singing "Schoolhouse Rock" louder than this California maker of portable buildings. The state's initiative to decrease class size gave it A+ growth.

[PRESSTEK] [Industrial] Called "baby Xerox" by boosters, this maker of digital imaging gear was tarred by allegations of improper stock trading. It is in talks to settle with the SEC.

[BENTON OIL & GAS] [Energy] This energy company continues to pump its profitable oil abroad, especially in Venezuela and Russia. It recently skipped Nasdaq for the Big Board.

[CHIPS & TECHNOLOGIES] [Technology] It dominates the 2-D graphic chip business, but future growth will be driven by new 3-D chips. Its acquisition by chip emperor Intel is pending.

[PREPAID LEGAL SERVICES] [Other] But who treats the shark bites? Known as a legal maintenance organization, employees enroll in this outfit's HMO-like plan that reimburses lawyer fees.

[LEAR] [Industrial] You can't drive a car without a seat, and this outfit makes it--plus everything else in Old Bessie's interior. A spate of acquisitions this year helped it do so.

[COHERENT COMMUNICATIONS SYSTEMS] [Technology] Pssst! This company makes voice-enhancement gear for the likes of AT&T. A push into software and strong foreign sales made last quarter a record.

[ZOLTEK] [Industrial] Zounds! Zoltek makes carbon fibers, which find their way into a zillion manufacturing businesses, including the auto, space, and computer industries.

[SWIFT ENERGY] [Energy] Recent quarters have proved to be gushers for this onshore oil and gas company. Higher production, most notably in Texas, has been the driving force.

[SMITH INTERNATIONAL] [Energy] This red-hot supplier of drilling tools for the oil industry has grown by leaps and bounds through acquisitions in the U.S., Middle East, and Africa.

[AMERICREDIT] [Other] Bad credit? Fret not. AmeriCredit makes auto loans to the growing hordes who can't get them anywhere else. The struggles of competitors also helped.

[DVI] [Other] The rise in outpatient health-care outfits and independent physicians' groups has meant healthy growth for this financer of medical equipment.

[NOBLE AFFILIATES] [Energy] A big acquisition and higher energy prices have helped this independent oil-and-gas company increase profits from U.S. and foreign reserves.

[JLG INDUSTRIES] [Industrial] Need a lift? This manufacturer of elevating work platforms has gotten a boost from rising demand. But a recent slowdown prompted a restructuring.

[HA-LO INDUSTRIES] [Other] That coffee mug with your company's logo on your desk was likely distributed by Ha-Lo. It rules what is now the second-biggest part of the ad industry.

[SANMINA] [Technology] An acquisition streak has helped Sanmina, a maker of printed circuit boards and other electronic components, broaden its product offerings.

[GLEASON] [Industrial] An outfit in overdrive. This manufacturer of gear machinery has been increasing sales to Asian and European automakers. Next market? South America.

[INNOVEX] [Technology] The leading maker of the tiny, 25-cent lead wires that are essential to disk drives. But new technology threatens to eventually make its products obsolete.

[PRIDE INTERNATIONAL] [Energy] A string of acquisitions has turned this oil-drilling company into a global player with a presence in such hot foreign markets as Venezuela and Colombia.

[UNITED STATES FILTER] [Industrial] It was a hot summer for this operator of water-treatment plants: It bought the Bass brothers' water rights in the Southwest and a line of bottled water.

[HEALTHSOUTH] [Health Care] This operator of outpatient surgical centers and rehab facilities just made news by offering to buy some of scandal-ridden Columbia/HCA's businesses.

[ACTION PERFORMANCE] [Other] Vroom at the top. Race-car-driver-turned-entrepreneur Fred Wagenhals sells collectibles like scale-model cars and miniature replicas of driver racing helmets.

[DELL COMPUTER] [Technology] Just another young, college-dropout multibillionaire: Michael Dell's mail-order computer maker has made him richer at 32 than Bill Gates was at that age.

[MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS] [Technology] Maxim's chips, used in cell phones and testing equipment, translate real-world sounds and temperatures into digital signals that computers understand.

[TOM BROWN] [Energy] Tom Brown profits are gushing as oil demand runs up. The company plans to drill 30 new exploratory wells this year--most of them in Wyoming.

[SEMICONDUCTOR PKG. MATERIALS] [Industrial] This specialty-product maker is riding the surge in the microelectronics and semiconductor industries with products that conduct current and dissipate heat.

[ALTERA] [Technology] Despite a recent slowdown, Altera's programmable logic chips have proved popular because they give networking and telecom engineers design flexibility.

[TETRA TECHNOLOGIES] [Industrial] Your dump is Tetra's lunch. It recovers and recycles inorganic chemical byproducts and waste into useful chemicals for industrial and agricultural uses.

[QUANTUM] [Technology] Quantum, long a supplier of hard disk drives to the computer industry, went retail for the first time last year, offering its drives to the public through chains.

[TRANSOCEAN OFFSHORE] [Energy] This offshore oil-and-gas drilling and equipment company is the result of two big mergers and recently began operations in potentially lucrative Angola.

[MEDICAL RESOURCES] [Health Care] A total of 81-- that's right, 81--acquisitions helped this operator of X-ray, MRI, and ultrasound imaging centers become the most profitable in the industry.

[S3] [Technology] This chipmaker is linking up with video companies and investing in startups to gain access to the newest technology in the white-hot 3-D graphics market.

[II-VI] [Technology] The end of the Cold War punished this maker of optical laser parts, but starting in 1994 it successfully refocused its sales efforts on growing foreign markets.

[CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS] [Technology] The sticky-finger factor keeps this maker of antitheft tags and closed-circuit-TV systems in the money. Plans to merge with Ultrak (No. 61) are dead.

[STERIS] [Health Care] Steris, a manufacturer of infection-control and sterilization products for hospitals, broadened its product line by making four acquisitions in the past year.

[OXFORD HEALTH PLANS] [Health Care] The first homeopathic maintenance organization? This pioneering, fast-growing HMO started an alternative-medicine program for members in six states.

[ULTRAK] [Technology] Ultrak hiked its share of the market for video surveillance gear by pocketing competitors. But merger plans with Checkpoint Systems (No. 58) fell through.

[FORE SYSTEMS] [Technology] This leader in asynchronous-transfer-mode switches for networking saw its stock tank amid doubts about the wide-scale acceptance of its technology.

[SCI SYSTEMS] [Technology] Communications systems made by SCI, a contract manufacturer, are found in everything from the F-16 fighter jet to Hewlett-Packard personal computers.

[ATC COMMUNICATIONS GROUP] [Other] A growing list of high-profile customers, including Visa and America Online, are turning to ATC to handle their customer service and support centers.

[BOSTON CHICKEN] [Retail] Could this soon be Chicken Little? Slow sales have forced this chain to slash its expansion rate by half. A management shakeup and new edibles may help.

[REGAL CINEMAS] [Other] Acquiring rival Cobb Theatres has bumped Regal into the No. 3 slot among North America's motion picture exhibitors, with over 2,000 silver screens.

[CORRECTIONS CORP. OF AMERICA] [Other] Crime pays for this operator of correctional facilities. It spun off a REIT that includes its prison properties and could benefit from further privatization efforts.

[SYLVAN LEARNING SYSTEMS] [Technology] Sylvan gets an A for earnings growth, derived from its public-school tutoring programs, adult training facilities, and computerized testing centers.

[RICHTON INTERNATIONAL] [Industrial] Find the synergy. Richton distributes lawn sprinkler systems, outdoor lighting, and fountain decorations. It also provides maintenance for computer networks.

[HIGH PLAINS] [Energy] This manufacturer of ethanol is benefiting from growing demand for clean-burning fuel. But a contract to export ten million gallons to Europe recently got nixed.

[ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING] [Technology] This company's gear turns color copiers into networked printers for desktop publishing. Kinko's, the big print-for-pay chain, has struck a deal to use it.

[PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT] [Energy] Higher gas prices and more drilling activity fueled record earnings and sales for this gas-and-oil outfit with operations in West Virginia and Pennsylvania.

[ATMEL] [Technology] Atmel's chips hot-wire today's on-the-run executive: They go into laptop computers and cell phones, two exploding markets. Sales topped $1 billion in 1996.

[PEOPLESOFT] [Technology] Peoplesoft's client-server business software helps companies to manage their human-resources, finance, and distribution departments.

[NUEVO ENERGY] [Energy] As a result of acquisitions in California, Texas, and Africa, Nuevo Energy tripled its oil reserves and more than doubled its annual production.

[TECHNITROL] [Technology] Focusing on switches and magnetic devices, found in everything from computers to autos, has boosted returns. A spate of acquisitions has helped too.

[STARBUCKS] [Retail] Profits keep percolating at the 1,300-outlet java giant, helped by new products like coffee ice cream and bottled cappuccino it cooked up with Pepsi.

[ATCHISON CASTING] [Industrial] Everything from trains to autos to gas pipes are made from Atchison's steel and iron castings. A recent stock offering and acquisitions should fuel growth.

[LOMAK PETROLEUM] [Energy] Since 1991 this oil-and-gas company has made over 60 slick acquisitions picking up properties in Ohio, Oklahoma, and along the Gulf Coast.

[ROBBINS & MYERS] [Industrial] Increasing R&D in the chemical and pharmaceuticals industries boosted demand for Robbins & Myers' glass and steel containers. Profits have followed.

[ZYGO] [Technology] Zygo's powerful measuring systems are used in the production of semiconductor and data-storage devices, improving quality and increasing output.

[STAPLES] [Retail] The No. 2 office-supply superstore chain, after Office Depot, will remain so for the time being; the FTC nixed a proposed merger between the two this summer.

[WARRANTECH] [Other] Satisfaction guaranteed? Warrentech provides extended warrantees to everyone from computer makers to appliance retailers. In 1996 profits doubled.

[CAMBRIDGE TECH-NOLOGY PARTNERS] [Technology] This hard-charging systems integrator is helping companies sort through the tangle of hardware and software that make up today's computer systems.

[ZYTEC] [Technology] Riding the network explosion, Zytec makes power supplies that keep computer networks humming and then--importantly--repairs them when they fizz out.

[THERMEDICS] [Health Care] Thermedics' range of detection equipment can locate bombs in airports, inspect food on production lines, and track blood flow in artificial heart pumps.

[TODD AO] [Other] Hollywood's finest? This post-production outfit does audio and video editing. Past hits include Schindler's List, Evita, and Melrose Place.

[BLYTH INDUSTRIES] [Industrial] As Americans indulge their penchant for relaxation through aromatherapy, sales of Blyth's scented candles and potpourri are--well--coming up roses.

[DUCOMMUN] [Energy] This manufacturer of microwave switches is benefiting from the proliferation of ground-based cellular phones and, increasingly, airborne ones as well.

[SEACOR SMIT] [Energy] This marine services company, benefiting from increased offshore drilling and memories of the Exxon Valdez, makes plans for worst-case oil-spill scenarios.

[RICHEY ELECTRONICS] [Technology] A distributor of specialty electronic components, Richey adds to its bottom line by assembling components to customer specifications.

[CDW COMPUTER CENTERS] [Retail] This mail-order retailer sells computers and peripherals to business customers. World Wide Web sales have risen sharply and should continue to do so.

[ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL] [Other] A great reputation and strong management keep this temp- and permanent-staffing company, which specializes in accounting and finance, booming.

[GIBRALTAR STEEL] [Industrial] This blue-collar outfit rolls, heats, galvanizes, paints, or otherwise treats partially finished steel products for use in car manufacturing and construction.

[3COM] [Technology] The acquisition of U.S. Robotics has broadened this networking company's product line of adaptors, hubs, and switches to include modem products.

[CALIFORNIA STATE BANK] [Other] This bank pushed aggressively into Orange County, a move that has paid off with higher earnings. The Wells Fargo/First Interstate merger helped too.

[ULTRATECH STEPPER] [Technology] After a rocky 1996, Ultratech has a new CEO and is introducing new chip-manufacturing technology that allows microchips to get even smaller.

[CHRONIMED] [Health Care] This specialty health-care company focuses on providing cost-effective care for patients with chronic conditions like diabetes, AIDS, cancer, and hepatitis.

[KLA-TENCOR] [Technology] Combined, KLA and former archrival Tencor rule the market for chip-inspecting tools that monitor and identify problems in the production process.

[URS] [Other] Specializes in designing government infrastructure projects. It helped Orlando expand its airport and New York City clean up the East River. [BOX]

AMERICA'S FASTEST-GROWING: WINNERS AND LOSERS

The contents of this list are the raw stuff from which wealth is made: earnings growth. Often that translates into stellar stock performance, as it has for Jabil Circuit, an outsource manufacturer of circuitboards, or computer-maker Dell. But just because a company makes it on our list does not necessarily make it a good investment, as shareholders of ATC Communications, Boston Chicken, and Fore Systems found out over the past year. Whether it is a failure to focus on the core business or on shifting customer demands, when a high-growth company falters, the market can be merciless.

TEN BEST STOCK PERFORMERS One-year Rank Company return 1 Jabil Circuit 867% 2 Semtech 622% 3 Dell Computer 389% 4 Quantum 356% 5 Innovex 305% 6 Kla-Tencor 259% 7 Cliffs Drilling 235% 8 EVI 220% 9 Zytec 203% 10 Action Performance 183%

TEN WORST STOCK PERFORMERS One-year Rank Company return 1 ATC Communications Group -74% 2 Employee Solutions -69% 3 Boston Chicken -65% 4 Just For Feet -56% 5 Ultrak -56% 6 Checkpoint Systems -51% 7 Fore Systems -42% 8 Hologic -39% 9 JLG Industries -38% 10 Thermedics -33%

INDEX TO THE 100 COMPANIES HEADQUARTERS STOCK SYMBOL 100 EXCHANGE RANK

ACTION PERFORMANCE Tempe, Ariz. ACTN Nasdaq 46 ALTERA San Jose ALTR Nasdaq 51 AMERICREDIT Fort Worth ACF NYSE 35 ATC COMMUNICATIONS GROUP Dallas ATCT Nasdaq 64 ATCHISON CASTING Atchison, Kan. FDY NYSE 78 ATMEL San Jose ATML Nasdaq 73 BENTON OIL & GAS Carpinteria, Cal. BNO NYSE 27 BJ SERVICES Houston BJS NYSE 19 BLYTH INDUSTRIES Greenwich, Conn. BTH NYSE 88 BOSTON CHICKEN Golden, Colo. BOST Nasdaq 65 CALIFORNIA STATE BANK West Covina, Cal. CSTB Nasdaq 96 CAMBRIDGE TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS Cambridge, Mass. CATP Nasdaq 84 CDW COMPUTER CENTERS Vernon Hills, Ill. CDWC Nasdaq 92 CHECKPOINT SYSTEMS Thorofare, N.J. CKP NYSE 58 CHIPS & TECHNOLOGIES San Jose CHPS Nasdaq 28 CHRONIMED Minnetonka, Minn. CHMD Nasdaq 98 CLIFFS DRILLING Houston CDG NYSE 18 COHERENT COMMUNICATIONS SYS. Leesburg, Va. CCSC Nasdaq 31 COMPUSA Dallas CPU NYSE 3 COPART Benicia, Cal. CPRT Nasdaq 21 CORRECTIONS CORP. OF AMERICA Nashville CXC NYSE 67 DELL COMPUTER Round Rock, Texas DELL Nasdaq 47 DUCOMMUN Carson, Cal. DCO NYSE 89 DVI Doylestown, Pa. DVI NYSE 36 ELECTRONICS FOR IMAGING San Mateo, Cal. EFII Nasdaq 71 EMPLOYEE SOLUTIONS Phoenix ESOL Nasdaq 7 EVI Houston EVI NYSE 4 FORE SYSTEMS Warrendale, Pa. FORE Nasdaq 62 GIBRALTAR STEEL Buffalo ROCK Nasdaq 94 GLEASON Rochester, N.Y. GLE NYSE 41 GLOBAL MARINE Houston GLM NYSE 1 HA-LO INDUSTRIES Niles, Ill. HALO Nasdaq 39 HARNISCHFEGER INDUSTRIES St. Francis, Wis. HPH NYSE 2 HEALTHSOUTH Birmingham, Ala. HRC NYSE 45 HIGH PLAINS Wichita HIPC Nasdaq 70 HOLOGIC Waltham, Mass. HOLX Nasdaq 20 II-VI Saxonburg, Pa. IIVI Nasdaq 57 INNOVEX Hopkins, Minn. INVX Nasdaq 42 JABIL CIRCUIT St. Petersburg JBIL Nasdaq 23 JLG INDUSTRIES McConnellsburg, Pa.JLG NYSE 38 JUST FOR FEET Birmingham, Ala. FEET Nasdaq 6 KLA-TENCOR San Jose KLAC Nasdaq 99 LCI INTERNATIONAL McLean, Va. LCI NYSE 8 LEAR Southfield, Mich. LEA NYSE 30 LOMAK PETROLEUM Fort Worth LOM NYSE 79 MASTEC Miami MTZ NYSE 24 MAXIM INTEGRATED PRODUCTS Sunnyvale, Cal. MXIM Nasdaq 48 MCAFEE ASSOCIATES Santa Clara, Cal. MCAF Nasdaq 15 MEDICAL RESOURCES Hackensack, N.J. MRII Nasdaq 55 MODTECH Perris, Cal. MODT Nasdaq 25 NOBLE AFFILIATES Ardmore, Okla. NBL NYSE 37 NUEVO ENERGY Houston NEV NYSE 75 OXFORD HEALTH PLANS Norwalk, Conn. OXHP Nasdaq 60 PAIRGAIN TECHNOLOGIES Tustin, Cal. PAIR Nasdaq 16 PEOPLESOFT Pleasanton, Cal. PSFT Nasdaq 74 PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT Bridgeport, W. Va. PETD Nasdaq 72 PLAINS RESOURCES Houston PLX ASE 12 PREPAID LEGAL SERVICES Ada, Okla. PPD ASE 29 PRESSTEK Hudson, N.H. PRST Nasdaq 26 PRIDE INTERNATIONAL Houston PRDE Nasdaq 43 QUANTUM Milpitas, Cal. QNTM Nasdaq 53 REGAL CINEMAS Knoxville, Tenn. REGL Nasdaq 66 RENT WAY Erie, Pa. RWAY Nasdaq 5 RICHEY ELECTRONICS Garden Grove, Cal. RCHY Nasdaq 91 RICHTON INTERNATIONAL Madison, N.J. RHT ASE 69 ROBBINS & MYERS Dayton ROBN Nasdaq 80 ROBERT HALF INTERNATIONAL Menlo Park, Cal. RHI NYSE 93 S3 Santa Clara, Cal. SIII Nasdaq 56 SANMINA San Jose SANM Nasdaq 40 SCI SYSTEMS Huntsville, Ala. SCI NYSE 63 SEACOR SMIT Houston CKH NYSE 90 SEMICONDUCTOR PKG. MATERIALS Armonk, N.Y. SEMX Nasdaq 50 SEMTECH Newbury Park, Cal. SMTC Nasdaq 11 SMITH INTERNATIONAL Houston SII NYSE 34 STAPLES Westborough, Mass. SPLS Nasdaq 82 STARBUCKS Seattle SBUX Nasdaq 77 STERIS Mentor, Ohio STRL Nasdaq 59 SWIFT ENERGY Houston SFY NYSE 33 SYLVAN LEARNING SYSTEMS Baltimore SLVN Nasdaq 68 TECHNITROL Trevose, Pa. TNL NYSE 76 TETRA TECHNOLOGIES The Woodlands,TexasTTRA Nasdaq 52 THERMEDICS Woburn, Mass. TMD ASE 86 THERMOTREX San Diego TKN ASE 14 3COM Santa Clara, Cal. COMS Nasdaq 95 TODD AO Hollywood TODDA Nasdaq 87 TOM BROWN Midland, Texas TMBR Nasdaq 49 TRANSOCEAN OFFSHORE Houston RIG NYSE 54 TRIDENT MICROSYSTEMS Mountain View, Cal.TRID Nasdaq 17 ULTRAK Carrollton, Texas ULTK Nasdaq 61 ULTRATECH STEPPER San Jose UTEK Nasdaq 97 UNITED STATES CELLULAR Chicago USM ASE 10 UNITED STATES FILTER Palm Desert, Cal. USF NYSE 44 URS San Francisco URS NYSE 100 WARRANTECH Stamford, Conn. WTEC Nasdaq 83 WHITEHALL Dallas WHT NYSE 22 WIND RIVER SYSTEMS Alameda, Cal. WIND Nasdaq 13 YORK RESEARCH New York City YORK Nasdaq 9 ZOLTEK St. Louis ZOLT Nasdaq 32 ZYGO Middlefield, Conn. ZIGO Nasdaq 81 ZYTEC Eden Prairie, Minn.ZTEC Nasdaq 85 REPORTER ASSOCIATES Lixandra Urresta, Jeanne C. Lee, Shaifali Puri