The Best Canadian Stocks to Buy and Hold Forever in a TFSA

Canadian stocks such as GFL Environmental and Total Energy Services are poised to grow earnings at a steady pace through 2026.

| More on:

The Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a popular registered account that can help you build long-term wealth and accelerate your retirement plans. In 2025, the TFSA contribution limit increased to $7,000, bringing the cumulative contribution room to $102,000.

As the TFSA is tax-sheltered, you can use it to buy and hold quality growth stocks positioned to grow revenue and earnings over time. In this article, I have identified two top Canadian stocks to buy and hold forever in a TFSA.

Piggy bank with word TFSA for tax-free savings accounts.

Source: Getty Images

Is the TSX stock a good buy?

Valued at a market cap of $26 billion, GFL Environmental (TSX:GFL) has returned close to 200% since its initial public offering in March 2020. GFL is a diversified environmental services company in Canada and the United States. It offers non-hazardous solid waste management, infrastructure, soil remediation, and liquid waste management services.

GFL Environmental expects to close its $8 billion sale of the Environmental Services (ES) business to Apollo Funds and BC Partners, a transaction that will significantly reshape the waste management company’s financial profile.

The ES transaction will yield $6.2 billion in net proceeds, allowing GFL to repay approximately $3.75 billion in debt and pursue up to $2.25 billion in share repurchases. Post-transaction, GFL will maintain a 44% equity stake in the ES business, valued at $1.7 billion.

“This transaction facilitates the acceleration of several of our key financial objectives while preserving the opportunity to participate in expected material upside through our retained equity,” Dovigi noted.

During its fourth-quarter (Q4) earnings call, GFL reported solid performance with a 7% increase in solid waste organic growth, driven by 6% pricing and 2.3% volume growth. It achieved 300 basis points of margin expansion for the second consecutive quarter.

“The quality of our asset base and the strong execution of our committed employees once again drove industry-leading organic growth for the year,” said Patrick Dovigi, founder and chief executive officer (CEO) of GFL.

For 2025, GFL is guiding 6-7% revenue growth and industry-leading 100 basis points of adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortization) margin expansion. It expects to deploy $325 million in growth capital, primarily for its Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) contracts.

Cheif Financial Officer Luke Pelosi highlighted that the de-levered balance sheet would enable GFL to “reignite our M&A strategies that have been tempered over the past 18 months” while maintaining leverage of around three times.

Priced at 49.6 times forward earnings, GFL Environmental trades at a premium. However, the TSX stock is forecast to expand adjusted earnings from $0.84 per share in 2024 to $1.34 per share in 2025 and $1.7 per share in 2026.

Is the Canadian energy stock undervalued?

Total Energy Services (TSX:TOT) reported a record year in 2024 despite facing headwinds in Q4, including extended holiday shutdowns in Canada and adverse weather conditions in Australia.

Its Q4 consolidated revenue increased 15% year over year, with the addition of Saxon drilling operations offsetting lower U.S. drilling and completion activity. However, Q4 EBITDA was $4.7 million lower than the same period in 2023.

“Despite some challenges towards year-end, Total Energy was able to generate significant free cash flow during the fourth quarter that was directed towards a $25.5 million reduction of bank debt,” said Daniel Halyk, president and CEO. It returned $35.2 million to shareholders through dividends and share buybacks in 2024.

Total Energy’s 2025 capital budget of $61.9 million includes $27.6 million for maintenance and $34.3 million for growth opportunities. Its Compression and Process Services segment showed strength with its fabrication backlog at $189 million, unchanged from Q3 but up from $162.8 million a year earlier. Halyk emphasized demand remains robust despite tariff uncertainties.

Analysts expect the TSX energy stock to expand adjusted earnings from $1.53 per share in 2024 to $2.12 per share in 2026. So, priced at 4.44 times forward earnings, TOT stock is undervalued and trades at a 90% discount to consensus price targets.

Fool contributor Aditya Raghunath has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Total Energy Services. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

More on Energy Stocks

oil pumps at sunset
Energy Stocks

Down 1% After Earnings, Is Canadian Natural Resources a Good Stock to Buy Now?

Canadian Natural Resources stock is not a screaming bargain today but could be a buy on meaningful market corrections.

Read more »

boy in bowtie and glasses gives positive thumbs up
Dividend Stocks

Down 2% After Earnings, Is Suncor a Good Stock to Buy Now?

Meaningful pullbacks in Suncor stock could be buying opportunities for investors who can tolerate commodity volatility.

Read more »

An engineer works at a hydroelectric power station, which creates renewable energy.
Energy Stocks

Why This Canadian Dividend Stock Can Handle Any Market

Hydro One (TSX:H) isn't the cheapest stock, but it's a quality defensive dividend grower worth watching after the latest drop.

Read more »

delivery truck drives into sunset
Energy Stocks

After Their Pullback, These 2 Blue-Chip Dividend Stocks Look Good

Looking for some solid blue-chip dividend stocks that you can buy on a pullback? These two stocks look like a…

Read more »

a man celebrates his good fortune with a disco ball and confetti
Energy Stocks

Here’s Where I Think Enbridge Stock Is Headed

Enbridge stock has pulled back recently, but its growing project backlog and steady cash generation make me strongly bullish about…

Read more »

Printing canadian dollar bills on a print machine
Energy Stocks

Is Enbridge Still a Buy This August? Here’s My Take

Enbridge (TSX:ENB) stock recently slipped, but investors need not hit the panic button quite yet.

Read more »

Trans Alaska Pipeline with Autumn Colors
Energy Stocks

Ignite Your TFSA Retirement Savings With This 4% Dividend Stock

A tiny quarterly dividend can quietly grow into serious retirement income when it compounds inside a tax-free TFSA.

Read more »

A train passes Morant's curve in Banff National Park in the Canadian Rockies.
Dividend Stocks

2 Dividend Stocks Worth Holding Through 2030

Two dividend growers could boost your income by 2030, combining CNQ’s higher yield with CN Rail’s steadier business.

Read more »