This week, Zacks Chief Equity Strategist and Economist John Blank, PhD discusses:

• Top stocks in the Industrials sector, a massive, global topic that makes a great subject to explore cyclicality. Industrials encompasses a number of industries including Containers & Glass, Machinery-Electrical, Metal Fabricating, Pollution Control and others. John notes that this is a great sector for a tilt, due to government support for infrastructure. As John has done in recent analyses, he defines “top” stocks in three ways: by market capitalization, by number of analysts following the stock, and by largest percent change in F1 EPS estimate (the most important element used in assigning a Zacks Rank to stocks).

• Using this framework, John then examines key metrics for these leading names, using Zacks charting to illustrate comparisons of the most relevant trends for these companies. To point out strengths and weaknesses among these stocks, he looks at metrics ranging from Revenue F12M, Capital Expenditures, Net Margin TTM %, Price to Sales F12M, EBIT TTM, Cash Flow Yield %, and other measures.

• Because he uses these 3 types of screening metrics, John’s review of “top” players includes both large and relatively small companies, and both familiar and less well-known names. Among the tickers he discusses are WW Grainger Inc. (GWW), Illinois Tool Works Inc.(ITW), Assa Abloy AB (ASAZY), A. O. Smith Corporation (AOS), Ball Corporation (BALL), Deere & Company (DE), and many others. Don’t miss this in-depth industrial stock analysis from Zacks’ Chief Equity Strategist!