Going full circle
There's nothing new under the sun, right? My last pick of Netflix beaters is another drug developer with a yen for cancer treatments -- with a twist. Say hello to diabetes and cancer researcher MannKind (NASDAQ: MNKD ) .

MannKind's big, huge soaring leap in May had nothing to do with solid FDA approvals, like Clovis' major catalyst. Instead, it rested on circumstances like an optimistic analyst report and incessant rumor mill chatter around diabetes drug Afrezza. This run was the epitome of speculation.

Granted, it all seems to work out as the Afrezza study results started dropping in a couple of weeks later without dire warnings attached. The trials are completed and reported -- but we're still waiting for the actual results, not to mention the FDA's take on them. Buying MannKind right now would be a huge gamble as the stock has surged 180% in six months and 211% over the last year with very little solid support from actual business results.

Back to the lab again
These four stocks all outperformed market darling Netflix in the first two quarters of 2013. SunPower and Tesla appear to have plenty of business-class support for their huge runs, and I like Clovis' chances of reaching the market with several types of cancer treatments.

But it's not all upside and rainbows. Clovis and MannKind still depend on the unpredictable favor of the FDA. Tesla has barely broken through to profitable operations and still depends on those huge tax breaks. SunPower works in another risk-fraught industry, and its fundamentals are only strong in relation to sector rivals -- did I mention that the company isn't profitable today and sits on more debt than cash?

For my money, I'd be surprised if any of these stocks still outperform Netflix at the end of the year. For all of its perceived flaws, that's one long-term growth story I can get behind.

http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/06/24/these-4-surprising-shares-are-beating-netflix-stoc.aspx