20 fastest-growing companies in the world

Although the world is going through some tough economic times, there are companies that are posting astonishing growth. Fortune magazine has just come out with a list of fastest-growing companies in the world.

Let us take a look at  them. All the figures are based on three-year average.

1. SXC Health Solutions

Revenue Growth: 151%
Profit Growth: 65%
Total Return: 105%

SXC is both a pharmacy benefits manager (PBM) and a service provider to PBMs. With some $72 billion in branded drugs losing patent protection in the next five years, sales of generic alternatives are likely to rise. SXC's PBM unit, which acts as middleman between the insurance company and the pharmacy, could be the beneficiary: It makes more money each time a person uses a generic drug rather than a branded drug. Health care reform also means more people will be covered by Medicaid, which could benefit both of SXC's business lines.

SXC also stands to gain from growth in the use of specialty drugs like those for rheumatoid arthritis. SXC expanded its contract with one of its clients, HealthSpring, which focuses on specialty drugs, and acquired MedFusionRx, a specialty pharmacy provider, in December.
Get stock quote: SXCI
Revenue ($ millions): $2593.9
Net Income ($ millions): $68.2
Industry: Health Care

2. Green Mountain Coffee Roasters
Revenue Growth: 63%
Profit Growth: 69%
Total Return: 120%

Green Mountain is known as much for its K-cups, the single-serve coffee pods that are ubiquitous in corporate offices these days, as it is for its coffee. The company dominates the single-serve market and boasts customers such as ConAgra Foods, Starbucks, and Dunkin' Donuts, which use K-cups for hot cocoa, teas and coffees. Some 82% of company sales stem from the pod and the "Keurig Brewing System."

It's lucrative for Green Mountain, which charges the equivalent of $35 a pound for coffee in K-cups, according to Greg Fraser of the GRT Absolute Return fund. But Green Mountain faces the loss of patent protection for the K-Cups in 2012, which could crimp revenues and profits going forward.

Get stock quote: GMCR
Revenue ($ millions): $1912.4
Net Income ($ millions): $113
Industry: Beverages

3. Hi-Tech PharmacalRevenue Growth: 51%
Profit Growth: 234%
Total Return: 42%

This maker of generic drugs for allergies, diabetes and pain reported 51% sales gains in 2010 and has continued strong this year with a 45% year-over-year increase in the most recent quarter. The company-which specializes in liquid and spray drugs and makes a popular generic version of the allergy medication Flonase-seems poised for continued growth: It currently has 13 pending generics applications at the Food & Drug Adminstration, addressing more than $1 billion in name-brand drug sales in 2010, according to IMS Health. Besides its generics division, Hi-Tech has two other segments: The health care products division sells branded over-the-counter products. And a line of magnesium supplements, acquired in 2010, has also contributed to sales.
Get stock quote: HITK
Revenue ($ millions): $190.9
Net Income ($ millions): $41.5
Industry: Health Care

See below for more information

Top 100

Rank Company Earnings growth Revenue growth Total return 1 SXC Health Solutions 65% 151% 105% 2 Green Mountain Coffee Roasters 69% 63% 120% 3 Hi-Tech Pharmacal 234% 51% 42% 4 Baidu 78% 65% 65% 5 Medifast 87% 49% 65% 6 Alexion Pharmaceuticals 82% 75% 37% 7 Discovery Communications 79% 105% 28% 8 Green Plains Renewable Energy 102% 299% 22% 9 Home Inns & Hotel Management 94% 46% 26% 10 Sturm Ruger & Co 848% 24% 49% 11 Cirrus Logic 340% 24% 42% 12 Priceline.com 59% 28% 64% 13 Lululemon Athletica 47% 34% 57% 14 Concho Resources 50% 41% 35% 15 MercadoLibre 72% 33% 32% 16 Silver Wheaton 51% 39% 31% 17 Ares Capital 68% 32% 35% 18 Trina Solar 68% 66% 14% 19 Ebix 48% 42% 30% 20 KapStone Paper and Packaging 39% 44% 35% 21 Apple 57% 37% 26% 22 Coinstar 81% 37% 19% 23 Illumina 95% 30% 20% 24 Netflix 48% 23% 116% 25 Acme Packet 38% 28% 108% 26 IAMGOLD 109% 17% 47% 27 Riverbed Technology 37% 29% 79% 28 Maiden Holdings 49% 49% 17% 29 Eldorado Gold 44% 61% 20% 30 Credit Acceptance 57% 22% 49% 31 VanceInfo Technologies 31% 44% 40% 32 First Financial Bancorp 42% 40% 26% 33 AboveNet 160% 16% 36% 34 Cree 77% 32% 14% 35 Salesforce.com 48% 29% 30% 36 MarketAxess Holdings 52% 19% 51% 37 Lincoln Educational Services 102% 28% 16% 38 HMS Holdings 37% 27% 53% 39 First Solar 50% 64% -21% 40 Encore Capital Group 55% 16% 52% 41 InterDigital 153% 22% 19% 42 Ctrip.com International 38% 38% 23% 43 United Therapeutics 50% 41% 4% 44 LivePerson 32% 25% 71% 45 Amazon.com 30% 31% 41% 46 Steven Madden 48% 15% 66% 47 Volterra Semiconductor 141% 24% 13% 48 F5 Networks 41% 18% 57% 49 TriQuint Semiconductor 86% 23% 19% 50 STEC 131% 19% 18% 51 O'Reilly Automotive 25% 31% 43% 52 DG 38% 33% 23% 53 Cubist Pharmaceuticals 40% 29% 26% 54 Chipotle Mexican Grill 40% 18% 55% 55 NetScout Systems 69% 18% 25% 56 Harbin Electric 34% 90% 2% 57 Celgene 56% 33% -2% 58 NetEase.com 25% 39% 27% 59 Neutral Tandem 54% 32% 0% 60 Thoratec 93% 15% 24% 61 Cninsure 43% 38% 1% 62 Insituform Technologies 61% 25% 11% 63 Research In Motion 39% 49% -37% 64 Allegiant Travel 41% 19% 39% 65 Deckers Outdoor 38% 29% 24% 66 EZCORP 28% 26% 41% 67 American Public Education 37% 40% 4% 68 TransGlobe Energy 33% 26% 31% 69 Signature Bank 42% 19% 30% 70 New Oriental Education & Technology Group 25% 38% 24% 71 HealthSpring 28% 25% 40% 72 Life Technologies 28% 48% 10% 73 Cyberonics 146% 16% 9% 74 DeVry 46% 29% 4% 75 Perrigo 36% 17% 41% 76 American Equity Investment Life Holding 17% 45% 17% 77 VistaPrint 32% 29% 21% 78 Ulta Salon, Cosmetics & Fragrance 29% 16% 79% 79 Cognizant Technology Solutions 26% 27% 31% 80 Newmont Mining 69% 20% 2% 81 IPC The Hospitalist 29% 23% 35% 82 AsiaInfo Holdings 30% 37% 12% 83 FBL Financial Group 51% 17% 20% 84 Broadcom 62% 19% 8% 85 BJ's Restaurants 20% 17% 75% 86 First Cash Financial Services 26% 21% 41% 87 Intuitive Surgical 33% 30% 11% 88 Epoch Holding 22% 27% 31% 89 Sohu.com 33% 38% 1% 90 Buffalo Wild Wings 25% 23% 39% 91 Enstar Group 46% 24% 6% 92 MWI Veterinary Supply 29% 21% 35% 93 Almost Family 32% 37% 1% 94 Zhongpin 26% 42% -6% 95 Blue Coat Systems 37% 24% 16% 96 LHC Group 37% 30% 0% 97 Walter Energy 38% 27% 3% 98 ITT Educational Services 45% 24% -2% 99 American Science and Engineering 39% 19% 17% 100 Catalyst Health Solutions 26% 23% 23%

Courtesy: http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/