5 Surprising Stocks That Have More Than Doubled in 2015

This has been a rough month -- and a rough year -- for the stock market. Some may argue that it's hard to make money in this climate, but some investors have actually made a lot of it.

Let's go over a few of the stocks that have more than doubled in 2015 as of the Aug. 25 market close.

Skechers (SKX) -- Up 139 percent

The athletic-footwear maker is on fire, blowing Wall Street profit targets away in each of this year's first two quarters. Sales clocked in at a record $2.4 billion last year and they're already surging 39 percent higher through the first half of 2015.

The company that was once known for cheap sneakers has evolved into its own brand. Skechers recently announced a 3-for-1 stock split, which will take place in October.

Eldorado Resorts (ERI) -- Up 124 percent

The house always wins, but that doesn't always play out for casino operators. Things have certainly panned out for Eldorado. It's been seeing improving performance metrics at most of its five properties, and a recent deal to acquire Circus Circus Reno and MGM's 50 percent interest in Silver Legacy Resort Casino in Reno will bring its casino count up to seven.

Sector consolidation has helped boost the shares of small regional players with domestic assets. Eldorado certainly fits the bill, and with buyouts likely to continue, it will keep drawing interest from more than just gamers.

LendingTree (TREE) -- Up 117 percent

Low interest rates and a booming housing market have been beneficial to lead providers for the mortgage industry and LendingTree has been one of them. Interest in refinancing has been sluggish since it's been a low-rate environment for so long, but demand for financing home purchases continues to grow.

The biggest driver in LendingTree's top-line growth has been its push into personal loans. It's a volatile niche, but it's also a logical expansion market for the company.

Wayfair (W) -- Up 113 percent

The online furniture retailer didn't seem to live up to the initial hype in its first year as a public company. Wayfair went public at $29 last October, and even though it opened at $36, it wound up losing ground by the end of 2014.

It's been a different story this year. Investors have applauded the heady sales growth at Wayfair, forgiving its shortcomings on the bottom line. It helps that the losses are shrinking as its sales expand. A few years ago, some would have argued that furniture was a bust for e-tailers. Customers like to kick the ottoman, so to speak. Shipping is too cost-prohibitive. However, it's working for Wayfair.

Netflix (NFLX) -- Up 108 percent

The most valuable company to double this year in terms of market cap is Netflix. The leading premium video service grows more popular with every passing quarter. Its global base of streaming subscribers has grown to 65.55 million from 50.05 million over the past year.

Magnetic original content and strong acquisitions overseas -- where most of its growth has been coming from over the past year -- continue to make Netflix the undisputed top dog, serving billions of hours of content a month.

Motley Fool contributor Rick Munarriz owns shares of Netflix. The Motley Fool owns and recommends Netflix. Try any of our Foolish newsletter services free for 30 days. Check out our free report on one great stock to buy for 2015 and beyond.