Canada’s global trade relationships are rapidly changing, and the country needs to quickly adapt. Likewise, Canadian stock investors need to adapt their investment strategy.
Fortunately, the Canadian government appears to be taking the threats seriously. It is working to improve interprovincial trade and decrease the time it takes to complete crucial infrastructure projects. Similarly, defence spending is set to surge as Canada reacts to meet its NATO commitments and improve Arctic sovereignty measures.
As Canada pushes several nation building projects, it means a surge of private and government funds will be hitting the market. That should be beneficial for several Canadian stocks in a wide mix of industries. Here are three stocks that should benefit from Canada’s nation-building boom.
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A leading Canadian engineering stock
The first stock set to benefit is WSP Global (TSX:WSP). With a market cap of $36 billion, it is one of the largest engineering and advisory firms in the world. 18% of its revenues come from Canada.
Given its scale and wide service expertise, it is able to take on a wider share of services in a project. It is a major player in earth and environmental, as well as infrastructure. As more projects, especially in energy and critical minerals get approved, WSP should see its Canadian backlog continue to rise.
WSP has a long history of compounding shareholder value. It has grown by making smart acquisitions. It just announced an acquisition that will expand its Canadian leadership position into the U.S. as well.
A quality aerospace company
Exchange Income Corp. (TSX:EIF) is another company that could really benefit from nation-building spending. One of Exchange’s core businesses is providing specialized airline routes to remote northern Canadian communities. While it offers passenger and freight routes, it also provides firefighting, medivac, and surveillance services.
A focus on exploiting northern resources (oil and critical minerals) will certainly drive-up traffic for Exchange’s services. Likewise, with new arctic water passages opening due to climate change, Canada will need to bolster its surveillance efforts in the region.
Exchange is also a major provider of environmental access solutions in North America. Infrastructure and mining development will help bolster this business over time. This stock pays a nice growing 2.75% monthly dividend which is a nice added bonus to its investment thesis.
A top Canadian defence stock
Calian Group (TSX:CGY) provides healthcare, training/simulation, and communication solutions to the Canadian military. Today, over 50% of Calian’s revenue has been derived from defence revenue.
The company has suffered for a couple of years due to declining defence spending in Canada. Likewise, an ailing IT services segment has been a drag on earnings for several quarter. Fortunately, these tailwinds are reversing.
An activist investor has gotten involved and is urging the company to focus on its core defence business. The company is expecting to return to double-digit growth next year. It is probably fairly valued at about $65 per share. However, if some big government or NATO contracts start to trickle down, Calian could see further upside from here.
The Foolish takeaway
These are just a few of the Canadian stocks that could benefit from major nation building opportunities. You can look in construction, energy infrastructure, yellow iron, mining, aerospace, and technology for other stocks that could stand to benefit.
