Ask Matt: What’s the fastest growing tech stock?

USA TODAY markets reporter Matt Krantz answers a different reader question every weekday. To submit a question, e-mail Matt at mkrantz@usatoday.com.

Q: What's been the fastest growing technology stock?

A: Tech investors like one thing: Growth. That's a bit of an oversimplification, but not by much.

Tech investors are focused on finding the companies seeing demand for their products and services increase quarter over quarter and year over year. Investors figure that even if technology companies are losing money, as long as they are growing, then profits will follow.

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Interestingly, though, tech investors often fall into the trap of thinking the same tech stocks they read about all the time are the ones that are putting up the big growth. That's often not the case.

Among the tech stocks in the broad Standard & Poor's 1500 index, most of those with the strongest growth are some companies many investors aren't familiar with. For instance, the tech company with the strongest growth in earnings before interest, taxes, amortization and depreciation the past two years, 96% compounded annually, is Blucora. The company provides search technology to Web sites and also tax preparation services.

After Blucora, Cirrus Logic is the company with the fastest compound average annual rate of growth the past two years, 76%. The company makes a variety of computer chips and integrated circuits. That's not to say some popular stocks aren't growing quickly. 3D printing darling, 3D Systems, has put up the fourth fastest rate of cash flow growth over the past two years at 62%.