The TSX Index is having another fantastic year, now up more than 11% for 2026 so far. With another five and a half months or so to go, though, questions linger as to whether the second half can bring the Canadian stock market to even higher highs, as the Canadian bank stocks and energy plays look to continue doing much of the heavy lifting.
Despite the broad strength, especially within the financial and energy sectors, there’s this feeling of hesitation. And for value-focused investors, it’s hard to wait a while to see how this all plays out. A correction will eventually happen, perhaps when we least expect it, but, like it or not, there are also risks that come with holding cash and waiting for a correction, especially for new investors who might not have the mindset to deploy the capital once the time comes.
Of course, with energy prices rising again due to the conflict in the Middle East, there’s a chance that inflation could remain a problem for a while longer, especially when it comes to food prices and electronics.
Indeed, higher transportation costs, as well as the AI-driven shortage of critical electronics components, could make life that much pricier going into the year’s end. And, with that, investors need to be sure that they’re in a spot to preserve their pricing power. If inflation stays heated and a correction doesn’t happen, things could be tougher for those who are hoarding cash, wary of valuations after a historic run in Canadian stocks.
Like it or not, waiting for better valuations in a correction is timing the market.
Instead, I think it’d make sense to slowly average into a position so that one has skin in the game if the market rally continues, as well as optionality on the downside should a correction or something worse be in the cards. In essence, play both the bull and bear camps so that downside and upside risks can be managed, and one won’t need to time their way into the markets.
With a sum of $5,000 or so, I do think promising value candidates exist today. And while there’s no way to tell if they’ll continue to run or begin the process of correcting tomorrow, I do think that long-term investors have a lot to love from the following play:
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Restaurant Brands International
Restaurant Brands International (TSX: QSR) has been a choppy ride, now down over 7% from its all-time highs. With a year-to-date gain of around 11% (that’s a market return) and a stunning 3.6% dividend yield, I consider the fast-food firm to be enticing, especially given the relative outperformance of its brands at a time when many rivals are on the canvas.
In my view, the firm is winning over the value-conscious consumer. As some of its rivals offer less (think snacks rather than meals) for less, Restaurant Brands is offering more per dollar, something that its rivals have struggled to do.
Whether it’s Tim Hortons and its menu innovation (think cold brews) and ability to capture a bigger chunk of the lunch crowd, or Burger King’s successful turnaround that helped make the Whopper taste better, I must say I like QSR’s chances in this harsh consumer environment (that won’t improve anytime soon) far more than most other industry players, including QSR’s much-larger rivals.
In short, it’s a more defensive player in the space and could gain share even as inflation intensifies and its own costs creep higher. Management simply knows how to manage higher costs better, and until that changes, I view QSR as a relative king in the fast-food scene.
