As 2017 comes to a close, you will find many comments on the best stocks of the year and how they performed. This doesn't really help you much since the stock may have already peaked. So we'll take a different approach and talk about the best stocks of 2017 that still have potential in 2018.

First up is Capital One (COF  ), which is not the best performing stock of the year in terms of returns, but it is finishing the year at highs and still could have much more room to grow. Rising interest rates have helped earnings, and this phenomenom is expected to continue. But take a look at the chart. Pullbacks have been bought up, which has allowed a "breathing" type pattern of ups and downs that many other stocks haven't had. Many other names are just straight up, which makes you feel like there may not be much room left. Capital One has a more traditional uptrend, which may be exciting on the next dip.

Verizon (VZ  ) is up next. This may seem like an odd choice, since Verizon is essentially flat on the year. But where it came from and where it could go make it worthy of consideration for this list. Verizon tends to be slow and steady, but investors have pushed it higher into the end of the year; from November until now the stock has added over 20% and is holding up nicely. With some long term resistance at $56, this leaves plenty of room to go. There are analysts that have price targets beyond that, so Verizon might be a name to consider.

Finally, Exxon Mobil (XOM  ) is almost perfectly ready to breakout. The stock is still lower for the year, but it looks great when you consider where it came from and its potential for growth in 2018. The stock has rather quickly recovered more than 10% of its losses and sits poised to grab the attention of the breakout investors. The stock is over $84.25, with a clear path back to $91.