Even if they go mostly unnoticed, industrial businesses are the backbone of our country. Their momentum is also rising as lower interest rates have incentivized higher capital spending. As a result, the industry has posted a 21.7% gain over the past six months, beating the S&P 500 by 6.1 percentage points.
Nevertheless, investors must be mindful as the cycle can unexpectedly turn. When this inevitably happens, only the elite companies will survive and ultimately thrive. With that said, here are two resilient industrials stocks at the top of our wish list and one we’re steering clear of.
One Industrials Stock to Sell:
Clean Harbors (CLH)
Market Cap: $12.58 billion
Established in 1980, Clean Harbors (NYSE: CLH) provides environmental and industrial services like hazardous and non-hazardous waste disposal and emergency spill cleanups.
Why Does CLH Worry Us?
- Organic revenue growth fell short of our benchmarks over the past two years and implies it may need to improve its products, pricing, or go-to-market strategy
- Earnings per share have contracted by 1.2% annually over the last two years, a headwind for returns as stock prices often echo long-term EPS performance
- 4.3 percentage point decline in its free cash flow margin over the last five years reflects the company’s increased investments to defend its market position
Clean Harbors is trading at $234.56 per share, or 27.8x forward P/E. Read our free research report to see why you should think twice about including CLH in your portfolio.
Two Industrials Stocks to Watch:
Republic Services (RSG)
Market Cap: $70.85 billion
Processing several million tons of recyclables annually, Republic (NYSE: RSG) provides waste management services for residences, companies, and municipalities.
Why Do We Like RSG?
- 9.8% annual revenue growth over the last five years surpassed the sector average as its offerings resonated with customers
- Highly efficient business model is illustrated by its impressive 18.8% operating margin, and its operating leverage amplified its profits over the last five years
- Strong free cash flow margin of 13.5% enables it to reinvest or return capital consistently
Republic Services’s stock price of $226 implies a valuation ratio of 31.5x forward P/E. Is now the time to initiate a position? Find out in our full research report, it’s free.
Trane Technologies (TT)
Market Cap: $90.47 billion
With low-pressure heating systems as its first product, Trane (NYSE: TT) designs, manufactures, and sells HVAC and refrigeration systems, the former to commercial and residential building customers and the latter to commercial truck manufacturers.
Why Are We Backing TT?
- Annual revenue growth of 11.1% over the last two years was superb and indicates its market share increased during this cycle
- Share buybacks catapulted its annual earnings per share growth to 22.7%, which outperformed its revenue gains over the last two years
- Industry-leading 23.8% return on capital demonstrates management’s skill in finding high-return investments, and its returns are growing as it capitalizes on even better market opportunities
At $408.13 per share, Trane Technologies trades at 29.4x forward P/E. Is now the right time to buy? See for yourself in our in-depth research report, it’s free.
Stocks We Like Even More
When Trump unveiled his aggressive tariff plan in April 2025, markets tanked as investors feared a full-blown trade war. But those who panicked and sold missed the subsequent rebound that’s already erased most losses.
Don’t let fear keep you from great opportunities and take a look at Top 5 Growth Stocks for this month. This is a curated list of our High Quality stocks that have generated a market-beating return of 183% over the last five years (as of March 31st 2025).
Stocks that made our list in 2020 include now familiar names such as Nvidia (+1,545% between March 2020 and March 2025) as well as under-the-radar businesses like the once-micro-cap company Kadant (+351% five-year return). Find your next big winner with StockStory today for free. Find your next big winner with StockStory today. Find your next big winner with StockStory today
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