New leadership, maybe. The medical equipment makers have been making new highs... names that most people haven't heard of. Merq did that before everyone knew about it.
There are other stocks that have been in trading ranges that are close to the top of them. Not at 52 week highs but multi month highs and it wouldn't take much to move them to new highs either by higher prices or time passing making the higher prices drop off the 52 week period.