Geopolitical instability brought by the current conflict in the Middle East continues to weigh on global stock markets. Unless a lasting settlement comes soon, market volatility will remain elevated. Fortunately, the TSX has shown resilience, especially within the energy and basic materials sectors. If you have $2,000 in free cash, you can ignore the noise and deploy it into a pair of winning investments.
Whitecap Resources (TSX:WCP) and Almonty Industries (TSX:AII) have emerged as prime buy-now Canadian stocks following their standout performances thus far in 2026. The former, an energy stock, provides a solid monthly dividend stream. The latter, a metals and mining stock, is riding on explosive momentum due to its accelerating growth prospects.
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Income play
Energy is a heavyweight sector in Canada’s stock market. Rising oil prices and supply shocks are driving it higher. Whitecap Resources benefits from these tailwinds. At $14.29 per share, WCP is up nearly 28% year-to-date, keeping pace with the energy sector’s plus-32%. Moreover, the juicy 5.1% dividend yield is a powerful kicker to the capital gains.
Prior to the U.S.-Israel-Iran war, the $17.4 billion oil and natural gas company exited 2025 with strong momentum. Whitecap Resources also became Canada’s seventh-largest oil and natural gas producer and fifth-largest natural gas producer after completing the acquisition of Veren Inc. in March 2025. A credit upgrade followed due to the increased business scale and improved cash profile.
The transformative merger created a much larger platform that is nearly on par with industry giants. Full year 2025 revenue and net income increased 66% and 21% year-over-year to $5.5 billion and $984.6 million, respectively. Management said the full-year production of 307,245 barrels of oil equivalent per day exceeded guidance and is a new record.
No one knows how long the conflict and high-price environment will last. Grant Fagerheim, Whitecap’s CEO, said, “This is a massive supply disruption that’s affecting the entire world.” However, despite the spike in oil prices, the company will maintain its $2 billion capital spending plan for 2026. Whitecap will use increased cash flow to strengthen its balance sheet. The capital return strategy includes share buybacks.
Momentum play
Almonty Industries specializes in tungsten mining and exploration. Major economies consider tungsten a critical mineral, indispensable for modern defence and advanced technologies. For the $8.5 billion mining company, the steel-gray metal is conflict-free globally, although China dominates the tungsten market.
The mining stock rose to prominence in 2025 when it was recognized as among the TSX’s 30 top-performing growth stocks (TSX30). AII ranked 10th, with its plus-427% dividend-adjusted share price performance over a three-year period. At $28.84 per share, the trailing one-year price return is plus-688%. Had you invested $1,000 a year ago, your money would be worth $7,879.78 today. AII is cross-listed on the NASDAQ.
On April 13, 2026, Alimonty announced the relocation of its corporate headquarters to Montana, United States to be near federal U.S. government agencies, defence contractors, and industrial partners. Its newly commissioned Sangdong Tungsten Mine in South Korea will be the key source of secure supply for Western industrial and defence supply chains.
Best opportunities
Whitecap Resources and Almonty Industries represent two of the best opportunities on the TSX right now. Your $2,000 can be highly productive with these outperforming and budget-friendly stocks.
