(This is The Best Stocks in the Market , brought to you by Josh Brown and Sean Russo of Ritholtz Wealth Management.) Josh — Let's talk chemicals. This has been an area of strength recently, but these stocks will definitely pull back if the market gets nervous about whatever's about to happen in Iran. That's their loss and our gain. We want to buy these sectors and stocks into that nervousness when they dip. So today, we're looking at three chemical companies that are on our Best Stocks in the Market List — Ecolab (ECL) , Linde (LIN) and Sherwin-Williams (SHW) . Sean's got his usual rundown of Best Stocks macro data as well as the story on these three. I'll be back later with the charts. Sector leaderboard As of Mar. 2 , there are 233 names on The Best Stocks in the Market list. Top sector ranking: Top industries: Top 5 best stocks by relative strength: Sector spotlight: Chemicals Ecolab, Inc. (ECL): Sean — Ecolab (ECL) is a specialty chemicals company providing water treatment, hygiene, and infection prevention solutions to HALO industries ranging from food & beverage and hospitality to healthcare and industrial manufacturing. The company posted a strong Q4 FY2025, with sales of $4.2 billion, up 5% year over year and adjusted diluted EPS of $2.08, up 15%. Not bad for an "old-economy" stock. Full-year adjusted operating income margin reached 18%, up 150 basis points year-over-year and free cash flow hit record levels. For 2026, Ecolab guided for adjusted diluted EPS of $8.43–$8.63, up 12–15%, organic sales growth of 3–4%, and operating income margin expansion above 19%. Josh — This thing is already a winner for 2026, so the question is whether or not there's more in the tank for people getting involved today. Of course, we cannot be sure, but one of the hallmarks of The Best Stocks in the Market list is how many companies get on, go up a lot and then keep going way past where anyone thought would be possible. It's hard to know which ones will do this, hence the emphasis on downside protection. We never give you a trade set-up without giving you an out. So here's how I'd handle Ecolab… The stock traded near $304 today, a small pullback from the recent highs at $308. I like it for an entry. The 50-day at $281 and 200-day at $271 are both rising and properly stacked, confirming a mature uptrend across timeframes. RSI in the low 70s reflects strong momentum, and with price in blue-sky territory there's no meaningful overhead supply. The reward here is trend continuation, not just a quick breakout pop. Instead of using $304 as a tight stop, the better reference is the breakout base between $290 and $295. As long as pullbacks stay above that zone, the structure remains intact. A decisive break back into the prior range and especially a loss of the rising 50-day near $281 would suggest the move needs more time to consolidate. If you're an investor, trust the 200-day at $281, look for a weekly close below as your sign the bull is gone. Linde Plc (LIN): Sean — Linde (LIN) is the world's largest industrial gases company, supplying oxygen, nitrogen, argon, and hydrogen — along with engineering services across electronics, chemicals, healthcare, and metals (again, very HALO). The company returned $7.4 billion to shareholders via dividends and buybacks in 2025 and maintains a $10 billion project backlog, with 65% tied to clean energy. For 2026, Linde guided for adjusted EPS of $17.40–$17.90, up 6%-9% year over year. Josh — It's okay to admit when you've missed one. We missed this one for you. It just happened too fast, we're only writing twice per week and by the time this one hit our list it was already going nuts. But all is not lost. Linde is in full momentum mode at $506 after clearing the $475 breakout shelf and accelerating higher. Price is well above both the 50-day at $453 and the 200-day at $455, which are now turning higher together after months of basing. This is expansion out of consolidation, not a late-cycle grind. With no overhead supply and a prior base that spanned roughly $400 to $475, the measured move math supports continuation beyond $500 if the trend persists. That said, RSI near 73 tells you it's extended short term. The first real structural support is the prior breakout zone around $470–$475. As long as pullbacks hold that area, the advance remains intact. A failure back below that shelf would suggest the momentum surge has exhausted and likely trigger a deeper reset toward the rising 50-day. You're going to see a golden cross happen here, probably this week. You may even see it hold up better than the rest of the market. Fine. I wouldn't expect a big drop to a much better price given the underlying strength but there could certainly be enough profit-taking to give you a better entry. Keep it on your screen and don't be afraid to buy when you see it red. Something tells me this one's not done going up this year. The Sherwin-Williams Co. (SHW): Sean — Sherwin-Williams (SHW) is the largest paint and coatings manufacturer in the world, and it's still growing. In Q4 FY2025, consolidated sales rose 5.6% year-over-year to $5.60 billion, with full-year sales hitting a record $23.57 billion. Adjusted diluted EPS grew 6.7% in Q4 to $2.23, while full-year adjusted EPS rose 0.9% to $11.43. The company raised its dividend for the 47th consecutive year and now pays a 1% dividend. For 2026, Sherwin guided for sales growth up low to mid-single digits and adjusted EPS of $11.50–$11.90, with plans to open 80–100 net new stores in 2026. 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