Canadian Dividends: My Top December Pick for TFSA Investors Who Hate CRA Taxes

Sleep Country Canada Holdings Inc. (TSX:ZZZ) is one of many discretionary retailers that could be made greate again once the pandemic ends.

| More on:

If you’re making passive income in a non-registered account, the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) wants a piece of the pie. Depending on the income-paying security, you may be entitled to a generous Canadian dividend tax credit. Regardless, income investors should seek to use their Tax-Free Savings Accounts (TFSAs) for such investments if they’ve got the room, as the opportunity costs of hoarding cash in high-interest savings accounts have arguably never been this high.

A high-interest TFSA savings account is anything but in the era of near-zero interest rates. As such, investors looking to get the upper hand on a potential uptick in inflation would be wise to rotate their excessive cash hoards into bountiful dividend stocks, many of which still trade at attractive valuations at today’s critical market crossroads.

This piece will look at one discretionary income stock that looks to have a considerable amount of upside potential as the economy makes moves to recover from the COVID-19 crisis over the next few years.

With the two latest vaccine breakthroughs, the pandemic’s end feels that much closer. But for now, the worsening second wave could grip the markets amid the vaccine-drive rally’s exhaustion. Should the market begin to lose sight of the longer-term recovery trajectory, I’d encourage you to think about buying the battered discretionary stocks, many of which still look priced with the assumption that the pandemic could drag on for longer.

Should you bet on a post-pandemic discretionary spending boom?

In a prior piece, I noted that if all went well with a 2021 economic recovery that we could be looking at an unprecedented post-pandemic discretionary spending boom once rainy-day savers feel more secure about their financial futures.

Right now, though, few folks are even thinking about a bounce in consumer sentiment amid surging coronavirus cases that could threaten to derail the economy’s recovery out of the depths of the first wave of shutdowns.

The economy took major steps forward in recent months, but it’s at risk of taking another big leap backwards if partial lockdowns wind up being just as bad as full lockdowns if worst comes to worst with the current coronavirus wave. Regardless, value investors should look past today’s horrific situation to the brighter, more hopeful world that we could find ourselves in next year.

Sleep Country stock is about to wake up

Consider shares of mattress retailer Sleep Country Canada (TSX:ZZZ), which currently sports a 3.3% dividend yield at the time of writing. While the dividend stock has recovered the ground lost in the 2020 February-March market crash, the name still looks absurdly undervalued when you consider the possibility of a discretionary spending boom that could be in the cards once COVID-19 is conquered.

Amid the worsening second wave and exhaustion of the vaccine-driven rally, Sleep Country could be in a spot to pullback sharply, and that’s when I’d pounce on the name if you’re looking to beat the herd into the compelling COVID-19 recovery play.

At the time of writing, ZZZ stock trades at 17.8 times trailing earnings, 1.3 times sales, and 2.6 times book value. Not a cheap stock by any stretch of the imagination. But if you weigh the possibility of a discretionary spending boom that could come to be after the pandemic, I’d say the price of admission into Sleep Country is far too low.

Foolish takeaway

Mattresses are one of those big-ticket discretionary items that are likely to be in high demand once aggressive savers feel confident enough have to spend their excess cash and have it flow back into the economy. Once the vaccines are ready to be administered, Sleep Country is one of the value names that could lead the next upward charge for the markets through 2021 and beyond.

Stay Foolish, my friends.

This article represents the opinion of the writer, who may disagree with the “official” recommendation position of a Motley Fool premium service or advisor. We’re Motley! Questioning an investing thesis — even one of our own — helps us all think critically about investing and make decisions that help us become smarter, happier, and richer, so we sometimes publish articles that may not be in line with recommendations, rankings or other content.

Fool contributor Joey Frenette has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

More on Stocks for Beginners

a person looks out a window into a cityscape
Dividend Stocks

1 Marvellous Canadian Dividend Stock Down 11% to Buy and Hold Immediately

Buying up this dividend stock while it's down isn't just a smart move, it could make you even more passive…

Read more »

Blocks conceptualizing the Registered Retirement Savings Plan
Dividend Stocks

CPP at 70: Is it Enough if Invested in an RRSP?

Even if you wait to take out CPP at 70, it's simply not going to cut it during retirement. Which…

Read more »

worry concern
Stocks for Beginners

3 Top Red Flags the CRA Watches for Every Single TFSA Holder

The TFSA is perhaps the best tool for creating extra income. However, don't fall for these CRA traps when investing!

Read more »

Data center woman holding laptop
Dividend Stocks

Buy 5,144 Shares of This Top Dividend Stock for $300/Month in Passive Income

Pick up the right dividend stock, and investors can look forward to high passive income each and every month.

Read more »

protect, safe, trust
Stocks for Beginners

2 Safe Canadian Stocks for Cautious Investors

Without taking unnecessary risks, cautious investors in Canada can still build a resilient portfolio by focusing on safe stocks like…

Read more »

A glass jar resting on its side with Canadian banknotes and change inside.
Stocks for Beginners

How to Grow Your TFSA Well Past the Average

Need to catch up quick with your TFSA? Consider some regular contributions to this top bank stock, as well as…

Read more »

An investor uses a tablet
Stocks for Beginners

Prediction: Here Are the Most Promising Canadian Stocks for 2025

Here are three top Canadian stocks that could deliver solid returns on your investments in 2025.

Read more »

Top TSX Stocks

A 6 Percent Dividend Yield Today! But Here’s Why I’m Buying This TSX Stock for the Long Term

Want a great stock to buy? You will regret not buying this TSX stock and its decades of growth and…

Read more »