The nation has been transfixed by the deep freeze across most of the country, the power and water woes in Texas, and the prospects for more storms ahead. Quietly and seemingly in the background, the stock market is showing signs of calming.

Waste Connections is the third-largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste and recycling services in the North America, operating 98 active landfills (14 are E&P waste landfills), 124 transfer stations, and 66 recycling operations. The firm serves residential, commercial, industrial, and energy end markets. Waste Connections entered the Canadian market with its 2016 merger with Progressive Waste. In 2019, roughly 14% of consolidated revenue was generated from the firm's Canadian segment.

Waste Management ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating approximately 272 active landfills and more than 339 transfer stations (includes acquired Advanced Disposal landfills and transfer stations). The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.

Waste Connections is the third-largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste and recycling services in the North America, operating 98 active landfills (14 are E&P waste landfills), 124 transfer stations, and 66 recycling operations. The firm serves residential, commercial, industrial, and energy end markets. Waste Connections entered the Canadian market with its 2016 merger with Progressive Waste. In 2019, roughly 14% of consolidated revenue was generated from the firm's Canadian segment.

Waste Management ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating approximately 272 active landfills and more than 339 transfer stations (includes acquired Advanced Disposal landfills and transfer stations). The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.

Stocks were mixed on Thursday morning amid surging coronavirus cases, as the U.S. pandemic death toll rose above 250,000. On the employment front, first-time claims for state unemployment benefits rose to 742,000 for the week ended November 14, up from 711,000 a week earlier and above the Bloomberg consensus forecast of 700,000. In other data, the National Association of Realtors said that U.S. existing home sales rose 4.3% in October to a seasonally adjusted 6.85 million units, up from 6.57 million in September and above the consensus forecast of 6.45 million. The Dow fell 0.3%, the S&P fell 0.1%, and the Nasdaq rose 0.5%. Crude oil traded near $41.50 per barrel, while gold fell $14 to $1860 per ounce.

Waste Management ranks as the largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste services in the United States, operating approximately 250 active landfills and more than 300 transfer stations. The company serves residential, commercial, and industrial end markets and is also a leading recycler in North America.

Waste Connections is the third-largest integrated provider of traditional solid waste and recycling services in the North America, operating 86 active landfills, 124 transfer stations, and 66 recycling operations. The firm serves residential, commercial, industrial, and energy end markets. Waste Connections entered the Canadian market with its 2016 merger with Progressive Waste. In 2019, roughly 14% of consolidated revenue was generated from the firm's Canadian segment.

Our rating on the Industrial sector is Market-Weight. While we see pockets of strength in areas such as trucking, and room for a rebound in aerospace-defense, the sector's exposure to the oil patch and weaker manufacturing volume argue for a market-aligned weighting at this time. The Industrial sector accounts for 7.9% of S&P 500 market capitalization. Over the past five years, the weighting has ranged from 7% to 12%. We think that investors should allocate 7%-9% of their diversified portfolios to the group. The sector includes industries such as transportation, aerospace & defense, heavy machinery and electrical equipment. Here are some of our top picks; all are rated BUY at Argus.

Stocks rose modestly on Friday, finishing off a mixed week that saw the major indices close flat to higher. Riskier equities performed better than blue chips, resuming a trend from the early weeks of the recovery. On Friday, The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 191 points, or 0.7%. The S&P 500 was up 0.3% and the Nasdaq Composite was up 0.4%. For the full week, the Dow was flat, the S&P 500 was up 0.7%, and the Nasdaq gained 2.7%. For the year-to-date, the DJIA is down 2.1%, while the S&P is up 5.1%, and the Nasdaq is up 26.0%. Over the past 52 weeks, the Dow is up 9.0%, the S&P 500 is up 19.3%, and the Nasdaq is up 45.9%.