Benchmark Beaters is a weekly report tracking stocks making new highs relative to their benchmark. Each week we surface new leaders, repeat outperformers, and sustained streaks - objectively and consistently.

Benchmark Beaters Weekly

Every week, our Benchmark Beaters screener identifies the Canadian and US stocks that are outperforming their benchmarks. Each blog post highlights 2 Canadian and 2 US “new” stocks - with a 1-year price chart, a quick business description, and a brief investment insight.

Canadian Stocks (New This Week 🟢)

Cipher Pharmaceuticals – CPH

Theme: Specialty Pharma Quietly Building a Pipeline

Cipher is a Canadian specialty pharmaceutical company focused on acquiring, in-licensing, and commercializing prescription drugs in Canada and Latin America — a model built on execution rather than drug discovery risk. The company posted a Q4 2025 earnings beat and has a live Health Canada review underway for Natroba, a single-treatment option for head lice and scabies that management believes addresses a genuine unmet need in the Canadian market. Investors are rewarding improving earnings visibility alongside a near-term pipeline catalyst, with the stock hitting a fresh 52-week high this week.

Altius Minerals Corporation – ALS

Theme: Royalty Model Expanding Into Battery Metals

Altius is a diversified royalty company with interests spanning potash, copper, iron ore, and renewable energy — a structure that can generate revenue as underlying commodity prices rise without taking on direct operating risk. The company completed its acquisition of Lithium Royalty Corp in February, meaningfully expanding its battery metals exposure just as critical mineral demand is accelerating, and recently reported full-year attributable royalty revenue growth driven by stronger potash and base metal pricing. Multiple analysts raised price targets following the results, reflecting growing recognition that the royalty model's leverage to commodity strength is being underappreciated relative to peers.

 Want to know which of these we would actually buy? Start your 14-Day Free Trial

US Stocks (New This Week 🟢)

Merck & Co. – MRK

Theme: Pharma Defensive With an Active Pipeline

Merck is a global pharmaceutical leader best known for Keytruda, its flagship immuno-oncology franchise, which remains one of the highest-revenue drugs in the world across a broad range of cancer indications. The company just announced a $6.7 billion acquisition of Terns Pharmaceuticals to bolster its oncology pipeline ahead of the well-flagged Keytruda patent expiration — a clear signal that management is actively deploying capital to extend its growth runway rather than waiting for the cliff to arrive. In a market where investors are rotating into defensive names with durable cash flows, Merck's combination of recurring earnings, consistent dividend growth, and strategic M&A activity is keeping it in relative outperformance territory.

Albemarle Corporation – ALB

Theme: Lithium Pure-Play Re-Rating on Structural Demand

Albemarle is the world's largest lithium producer, supplying battery-grade material to electric vehicle manufacturers and energy storage customers across North America, Europe, and Asia. The company has undergone a significant strategic repositioning — divesting a majority stake in its Ketjen refining catalyst business to sharpen its focus on lithium and energy transition materials, while using the proceeds to reduce debt and improve balance sheet quality. Long-term supply agreements with major automakers and the structural demand outlook for battery-grade lithium have driven a sharp re-rating by institutional investors, with Wall Street sentiment shifting decisively more constructive as the company's cleaner business profile comes into focus.

🔒 See all New, Repeat, and Streak stocks this week - download the full report

Curious about the full picture? See dozens of top-performing stocks this week, along with their sectors, market caps, 6-month performance, and whether they’re new, repeating, or on a streak - all in our weekly PDF report.

Simply enter your email below to download this week’s full report. Once signed up, you’ll automatically receive the new report each week, keeping you up-to-date on the top-performing names in the market.