Volatility can feel like bad news. Yet it can also shake loose better prices, better deals, and better long-term setups. Investors don’t need to buy every dip. They simply need to find companies in which the business can keep improving while the market gets distracted. That’s why TMX Group (TSX:X), and Dexterra Group (TSX:DXT) deserve attention, though with one important catch.
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X
TMX Group offers a cleaner buyable example. The company owns and operates key Canadian market infrastructure, including the Toronto Stock Exchange, TSX Venture Exchange, Montreal Exchange, and data businesses. When markets get choppy, trading volumes, derivatives activity, listings, and demand for market data can all become more important.
That showed up in the latest quarter. X stock reported record revenue of $488.2 million in the first quarter of 2026, up 16% from last year. Adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) rose 33% to $0.65. X stock saw growth across capital formation, derivatives, equities trading, and global insights. That’s exactly the kind of diversified engine investors want when one part of the market cools and another heats up.
X stock also has a timely catalyst. It agreed to buy the CBOE’s Canadian and Australian exchange businesses for $300 million. That deal could expand its reach and give it more exposure to markets tied to mining, listings, and global capital flows. The risk is valuation, as it currently trades at about 26 times earnings at writing. X stock rarely looks cheap, and slower initial public offering (IPO) activity could hurt. Still, it remains one of the rare Canadian stocks that can benefit when volatility increases. Add in a 1.9% dividend yield at writing, and that should help as we wait for volatility to become opportunity.
DXT
Dexterra Group gives investors a more grounded opportunity. The company provides support services, facilities management, workforce accommodation, and modular solutions. It serves customers in industries such as mining, energy, infrastructure, aviation, and government. That doesn’t sound glamorous, but it can prove useful when Canada needs to build more and operate efficiently.
The latest quarter looked strong. Dexterra’s revenue rose 15% to $275.5 million in Q1 2026. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) jumped 32.3% to $33.3 million, helped by profitable revenue growth and better margins in its Asset Based Services business. The company also pays a quarterly dividend of $0.10 per share, giving investors some income while they wait. At writing, that comes to a yield of 3.1%.
Dexterra could benefit if infrastructure, resource, and defence spending keep rising. Remote camps, facility services, and modular buildings can become more valuable when projects move ahead and labour stays tight. The risk is execution. Margins can move around, contracts can shift, and cyclical end markets can slow, so investors need patience.
Bottom line
For Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) investors, the setup looks especially useful today. None of these stories depends on perfect markets, but on buyers spotting value, exchanges earning from activity, and service providers supporting real projects. That’s a more practical way to treat volatility now. Add in dividends from even as little as $7,000 in each, and that certainly will make any investor feel safer during volatile markets.
| COMPANY | RECENT PRICE | NUMBER OF SHARES | ANNUAL DIVIDEND | ANNUAL TOTAL PAYOUT | FREQUENCY | TOTAL INVESTMENT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| X | $48.84 | 143 | $0.92 | $131.56 | Quarterly | $6,984.12 |
| DXT | $12.89 | 543 | $0.40 | $217.20 | Quarterly | $7,000.00 |
Together, these names show different sides of volatility. TMX shows how market swings can fuel revenue. Dexterra shows how practical service businesses can grow through uncertainty. The key isn’t avoiding volatility, but using it to your advantage, before tomorrow’s opportunity becomes obvious to everyone.
