If I Could Only Buy 3 Stocks in the Last Month of 2025, I’d Pick These

As markets wrap up 2025, these three top Canadian stocks show the earnings power and momentum worth holding into next year.

Key Points
  • My final-month 2025 strategy focuses on three top Canadian stocks with strong earnings and clear paths into 2026.
  • Why Celestica (TSX:CLS) is riding powerful demand from AI data centers and delivering rapid profit growth.
  • MDA Space (TSX:MDA) and Nutrien (TSX:NTR) combine visibility, scale, and long-term demand, making them attractive to buy now.

As the market gears up to close 2025, it feels like a great time to sharpen my watchlist. If I were limited to just three buys in this final month, I’d stick to top Canadian stocks backed by real results and future-ready plans – companies with growing earnings, solid fundamentals, and reasons to stay invested well into next year. In this article, I’ll walk you through three of the top Canadian stocks that I’d pick with full confidence.

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Source: Getty Images

Nutrien stock

Let’s start with Nutrien (TSX: NTR) because it brings stability and income into focus as 2025 wraps up. As a business tied directly to global food demand, it supplies crop nutrients and agricultural services, supporting farmers across key food-producing regions. At the time of writing, NTR stock is trading around $87 per share, with a market cap near $42 billion, and it offers an annualized dividend yield of about 3.5%.

Interestingly, Nutrien stock staged a strong rebound in 2025 as it currently trades with nearly 36% year-to-date gains, backed by improving fertilizer pricing and disciplined operations. In the third quarter, the company’s revenue climbed 12.8% YoY (year-over-year), while its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) jumped over 41% YoY, driven by higher potash and nitrogen volumes.

As a result, Nutrien’s adjusted quarterly net profit more than doubled YoY as margins expanded, helped by record ammonia operating rates and effective cost controls. With global crop demand regaining strength and expectations for higher potash shipments into 2026, Nutrien could offer a great mix of dividend income and durability, making it a top Canadian stock to buy now.

MDA Space stock

My next Canadian stock pick, MDA Space (TSX: MDA), is moving from stability toward innovation. The company mainly focuses on designing and delivering satellite systems, robotics, and geointelligence solutions for commercial and government customers. Its shares currently trade near $24 per share, with a market cap of roughly $3.1 billion.

While the stock has pulled back about 15% over the last year, MDA’s operating and financial performance remains solid. In the third quarter, the company’s revenue surged 45% YoY, while its adjusted EBITDA rose 49% YoY, with margins holding above 20%.

This financial strength came mainly from satellite systems, including work on the Telesat Lightspeed and Globalstar programs. At the same time, MDA’s backlog stood firm at $4.4 billion, providing revenue visibility well beyond 2025.

With reaffirmed full-year guidance and low leverage at 0.3 times net debt-to-adjusted EBITDA, MDA Space could benefit in the coming years as space infrastructure spending grows.

Celestica stock

Rounding out the list is Celestica (TSX: CLS), a top Canadian stock that continues to benefit from the surge in artificial intelligence (AI)-driven data center investments. This Toronto-based firm designs and manufactures hardware platforms and supply chain solutions for enterprise and communications customers. Currently, CLS stock is trading near $380 per share with a market cap of about $43.7 billion.

Interestingly, its shares have gained more than 170% over the last year as the company continues to focus on strong execution. In the third quarter, the tech equipment manufacturer’s revenue climbed 28% YoY, while adjusted earnings per share increased 52% YoY with the help of higher operating leverage in communications and data centre programs.

Encouraged by these results, Celestica recently raised its full-year 2025 guidance and introduced a bullish 2026 outlook, calling for revenue growth driven by AI infrastructure demand. With clear demand visibility and expanding margins, I expect Celestica stock to continue crushing the broader market in 2026 and beyond.

Fool contributor Jitendra Parashar has positions in Celestica and MDA Space. The Motley Fool recommends Celestica and Nutrien. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

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