Although the Canadian stock market has seen a strong rally over the last three years, if you’re planning fresh investments for the next cycle, it may be time to focus less on noise and more on business strength. Some companies are growing faster, improving margins, and building visibility well beyond the next quarter or year.
In this article, I’ll highlight three top Canadian stocks for 2026 that you can confidently consider buying if you’re investing $5,000 and looking to build wealth over time.
Aritzia stock
As consumer spending gradually normalizes with easing interest rates, let’s start with Aritzia (TSX:ATZ), a Canadian brand that continues to win customers across borders and channels. This Vancouver-headquartered apparel retailer operates more than 130 boutiques across Canada and the United States, alongside a fast-growing online platform. ATZ stock is currently trading at $116.25 per share and carries a market cap of about $13.4 billion.
Over the last year, its shares have jumped more than 116%, backed by accelerating demand for its products, margin expansion, and strengthening fundamentals. In the second quarter of its fiscal year 2026 (three months ended in August 2025), Aritzia’s revenue surged nearly 32% YoY (year-over-year) to $812 million with the help of double-digit comparable sales gains across all regions. The company’s revenue in the United States climbed over 40% YoY, showing rising brand awareness.
On the profitability side, its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) also more than doubled in the latest quarter as margins expanded and costs were better controlled.
Moreover, its focus on boutique expansion, digital growth, and deeper penetration in the United States makes Aritzia a solid Canadian stock for 2026.
Enerflex stock
After consumer growth, let’s look at Enerflex (TSX:EFX), an energy infrastructure firm that could add balance to your portfolio through its reliable cash flow and long-term visibility. Beyond energy infrastructure, it also provides compression and engineered systems solutions across global markets. EFX stock now trades at $21.18 per share with a market cap of roughly $2.6 billion, and offers a dividend yield of about 0.8%.
Interestingly, Enerflex stock has gained roughly 114% over the seven months as its earnings momentum and balance sheet strength continue to improve. In the third quarter of 2025, the company delivered record adjusted EBITDA of US$145 million, supported by strong project execution and cost savings. For the quarter, its return on capital employed improved to 16.9% with the help of higher profitability and lower net debt.
For the longer term, Enerflex’s backlog levels of about US$1.1 billion in engineered systems and US$1.4 billion in energy infrastructure provide solid visibility into future revenue, making this one of the best Canadian stocks to buy in 2026 for growth and income.
Aecon stock
To round out the list, let’s look at Aecon Group (TSX:ARE), a Toronto-based infrastructure firm that could give you exposure to multi-year projects tied to long-term spending trends. As a construction and infrastructure development company, it serves public and private sector clients across Canada and the United States. Currently, ARE stock trades near $32.11 per share with a market cap of about $2 billion. At this market price, it also offers a quarterly dividend with an annualized yield close to 2.4%.
Aecon stock has delivered a strong 250% return over the last three years as its execution improved, helping it regain investors’ confidence. In the September 2025 quarter, the company’s revenue climbed nearly 20% YoY, driven by higher activity in civil, utility, and transportation infrastructure. While its margins are still in recovery mode, recent sequential improvements in the firm’s earnings point to its stabilizing operations.
With governments continuing to invest in large-scale infrastructure and Aecon’s concessions model adding recurring income, this top Canadian stock offers a steadier growth profile that could help you get strong returns in 2026 and beyond.
