The best stocks to buy anytime are the dividend kings, who never have to worry about demand. Other stocks are worth buying at a better value than at their all-time highs. And if you are looking for a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) investment that you can buy for a longer term, you need to look at companies that can thrive in a crisis and grow in a healthy economy.
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The absolute best Canadian stocks to buy and hold forever
The best stocks to invest in are those that are major contributors to the Canadian economy. The strength of the export-led Canadian economy is in mining and oil reserves and the technology, finance, and logistics infrastructure it has built to export these reserves. Remember, exports will only be beneficial when the cost of exporting them is low.
The Russia-Ukraine war has created a natural gas export opportunity for Canada and increased natural gas prices. This shifting trend has created a buy-and-hold opportunity throughout the supply chain.
Best Canadian energy stocks
One of the biggest beneficiaries of this long-term shift in the supply chain was Tourmaline Oil (TSX: TOU), Canada’s largest natural gas producer. The company has been producing natural gas since 2008, but it achieved the scale to distribute dividends in 2018. Natural gas presents a mid-ground for the transition from oil to renewables. The opening of the European market to Canadian natural gas in 2022 led to special dividends. While the natural gas prices have normalized, the export opportunity is here to stay.
| Year | Regular Dividend | Special Dividend | Total Dividend |
| 2025 | $2.00 | $1.05 | $3.05 |
| 2024 | $1.32 | $2.00 | $3.32 |
| 2023 | $1.05 | $5.50 | $6.55 |
| 2022 | $0.90 | $7.00 | $7.90 |
| 2021 | $0.67 | $0.75 | $1.42 |
| 2020 | $0.50 | $0.50 | |
| 2019 | $0.46 | $0.46 | |
| 2018 | $0.37 | $0.37 |
Pipeline stocks
Pipeline stocks like Enbridge and TC Energy (TSX: TRP) are also tapping the liquified natural gas (LNG) export opportunity by accelerating gas pipeline projects. TC Energy even spun off its oil pipeline business to focus on gas pipelines and has brought online US$8 billion of assets into service in the first nine months of 2025. It has sanctioned three more natural gas pipeline projects, which are expected to deliver 5.9 times the weighted average build cost with its 20-year service contract.
The on-budget and timely completion of pipelines has improved TC Energy’s operating efficiency. Moreover, it will be the beneficiary of the Canadian government’s support in LNG Canada Phase II as the nation looks to expand export partners. You can buy and forget TC Energy stock even when it trades near its high. It can provide both dividend growth and capital appreciation in the next five years as it taps the new export market.
Other Canadian stocks to buy and hold
Apart from the natural gas opportunity, the banking and insurance sectors have some good buy-and-hold stocks, like Manulife Financial and Royal Bank of Canada. These slow-growth compounders have the scale that assures they can sustain a major crisis. They can also grow your dividend and provide capital appreciation through continuous growth.
