Why I’d Buy These 3 TSX Stocks Before Summer

Summer setups can look best when they combine steady demand, real catalysts, and enough financial strength to handle noise.

Key Points
  • CareRx has defensive healthcare demand from seniors, plus improving margins, lower debt, and a new dividend.
  • Orla Mining is riding gold strength and higher production expectations, but the stock can swing if gold cools.
  • BRP is a cyclical rebound play with improving results and strong cash flow, yet it still depends on consumer confidence.

Summer can sneak up fast on the market. Investors often start looking for companies with clear demand, cleaner balance sheets, and catalysts that don’t need a perfect economy. In that case, the best stocks to buy before summer may include defensive businesses with steady customers, gold names with momentum, and consumer stocks that could rebound if shoppers feel less squeezed. So let’s look at some options on the TSX today.

Two seniors float in a pool.

Source: Getty Images

CRRX

CareRx (TSX: CRRX) provides pharmacy services to seniors living in long-term care homes, retirement homes, assisted living facilities, and other congregate care settings. That gives it a steady customer base tied to aging demographics rather than short-term shopping trends. Over the last year, CareRx added beds, improved margins, reduced net debt, and even started paying a quarterly dividend. It also completed work on its new British Columbia Lower Mainland pharmacy, which supports future growth.

The numbers show a small company heading in the right direction. In 2025, revenue rose to $370.2 million from $366.7 million, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) climbed to $32.9 million. Net income came in at $26.1 million, helped by a tax recovery, compared with a loss the year before. CareRx also declared a $0.02-per-share quarterly dividend for the first quarter of 2026 now yielding 2.2%. The risk is size. Smaller companies can swing more sharply, but CareRx’s healthcare focus gives it a useful defensive edge before summer.

OLA

Orla Mining (TSX: OLA) has a much louder story. The gold producer operates the Camino Rojo mine in Mexico and now has a larger growth platform after acquiring the Musselwhite mine in Ontario from Newmont. Gold has stayed strong as investors worry about inflation, debt, currencies, and global tension. Over the last year, Orla stock also benefited from better production and rising investor interest in gold miners. Newmont sold its remaining Orla stake, but that looked more like portfolio cleanup than a knock on Orla stock.

Its latest results were impressive. In the fourth quarter of 2025, Orla stock reported adjusted earnings of US$143.1 million, or US$0.42 per share, with free cash flow of US$133.4 million. It produced 300,620 ounces of gold in 2025, beating its revised guidance. For 2026, Orla stock expects consolidated gold production of 340,000 to 360,000 ounces, which gives investors a clear growth runway. The company no longer looks cheap after its run, and gold prices can turn quickly. Still, if investors keep favouring hard assets, Orla stock could remain a strong summer pick.

DOO

BRP (TSX: DOO) brings more cyclical upside. The company makes Ski-Doo snowmobiles, Sea-Doo personal watercraft, Can-Am off-road vehicles, and other power sports products. That makes it sensitive to consumer confidence, dealer inventories, and financing costs. Those pressures hurt the stock over the last couple of years. Yet BRP spent the past year right-sizing inventory, cutting costs, and focusing on stronger product mix. North American dealer inventory also moved lower, which could help the company reset after a tough period.

The latest results showed a rebound. In the fourth quarter of fiscal 2026, revenue rose 16% to $2.5 billion, while normalized EBITDA jumped 47.3% to $363.8 million. Full-year revenue reached $8.4 billion, normalized EBITDA hit $1.1 billion, and normalized earnings per share (EPS) came in at $5.21. Free cash flow topped $900 million, giving BRP more flexibility than investors may have expected. The risk is clear. Powersports purchases can slow if consumers pull back. Yet if rates ease and shoppers feel steadier before summer, BRP could benefit from better sentiment and seasonal demand.

Bottom line

CareRx, Orla Mining, and BRP don’t all move for the same reason, and that’s the point. CareRx offers defensive healthcare demand. Orla stock offers gold-driven growth. BRP offers recovery potential if consumers get more confident. Before summer, I’d rather own stocks with clear catalysts than wait until the market has already noticed them.

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends BRP. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

More on Stocks for Beginners

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell speaks with U.S. president Donald Trump
Stocks for Beginners

Bank Stocks Wilted After the Fed Raised Interest Rates: Is Now the Time to Buy the Big Six?

Why waiting before buying the Big Six may be a prudent move for Canadian investors.

Read more »

shopper carries paper bags with purchases
Stocks for Beginners

Are You Spending More Just to Use Your Credit Card Perks?

Credit-card rewards lose their appeal quickly when earning them pushes you to spend money you never planned to spend.

Read more »

young adult uses credit card to shop online
Stocks for Beginners

Credit-Card Rewards Keep Changing: What Does That Mean for Bank Stocks?

Changing credit card rewards show how hard Canadian banks are competing to attract spending and deepen customer relationships.

Read more »

AI image of a face with chips
Dividend Stocks

AI Needs More Than Chips: These Canadian Stocks Have Something it Needs

AI data centres need far more than processors, creating opportunities in natural gas and electrical infrastructure.

Read more »

data center server racks glow with light
Energy Stocks

Who Makes Money From AI After the Chips Are Sold?

AI spending doesn't stop with processors as data centres also need electricity, grids, substations, and engineering.

Read more »

A person's hand cupped open with a hologram of an AI chatbot above saying Hi, can I help you
Tech Stocks

As AI Companies Fight for Customers, Could Shopify Gain an Edge?

Shopify could benefit from the AI shopping battle by supplying the commerce infrastructure that competing assistants need.

Read more »

farmer watches cornfield as sprinklers irrigate water
Stocks for Beginners

If Something Happened Tomorrow, Would Your Family Know Where the Money Is?

A strong financial plan can fail your family if nobody knows where the accounts, insurance, debts, and important documents are.

Read more »

ETF stands for Exchange Traded Fund
Stocks for Beginners

Own This ETF? Check How Much of Your Portfolio Depends on the Same Stocks

XEQT owns thousands of stocks, but adding other ETFs or individual names can quietly increase concentration in your portfolio.

Read more »