Buy-and-never-sell investors hold a tremendous advantage when investing in Canadian stocks in today’s markets. The stock market is increasingly becoming a gambler’s paradise. There are hundreds of different ways a speculator can make a quick profit (or loss). The market loves gamblers because it makes the most money when there is lots of activity.
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Invest don’t speculate for long-term profits
Yet, there is only one true way to be an investor. Find a great business, buy it (hopefully at a cheap or fair price), and hold on through the market’s ups and downs. The market earns the least fees from these market participants, so it tends not to promote this style.
It is not exciting. Sometimes it can be a real drain. Yet, if stocks follow their businesses’ fundamental earnings and cash flow growth, patience (and lots of it) can really pay off.
Despite the ups and downs, great businesses make great stocks. Fortunately, they tend to have more up days than they have down days.
This Canadian industrial stock has created massive shareholder value
TFI International (TSX: TFII) is a perfect example. Over the past 10 years, this stock is up 627%. Over the past 15 years, it is up 1,463%. Add in dividends and you are looking at a 1,700% total return.
TFI operates the least flashy business. It operates trucking, logistics, and freight businesses across North America. However, it has expertise in acquiring small mom-and-pop shops and turning them into cash cows.
From late 2024 to late 2025, this stock sat in the doldrums of a brutal selloff. North America was experiencing a challenging freight recession. This was compounded by operational issues in the U.S. less-than-truckload business. It would have been easy to sell the stock and move on.
Yet, who would have known that just a glimmer of improving results would shoot the stock back up to near-new highs? The freight recession is still not complete. Yet, the company has been improving operational and financial metrics quarter over quarter. TFI used the depressed share price to buy back stock, so results should be even better when the macro environment normalizes.
If a company has great bones (assets), strong management, and a great strategy, the best thing to do is sit on your hands and let it make the returns for you. TFI continues to be an attractive long-term stock to keep holding for years ahead.
A top Canadian software stock turning a corner
Constellation Software (TSX: CSU) is another Canadian stock with a similar story. It is one of Canada’s best-performing stocks ever. It is up 500% in the past 10 years and 4,666% in the past 15 years.
The company built a machine of steadily growing, niche software businesses around the world. Today, it dominates niches and markets all over the globe. To thousands of customers, its solutions run their businesses, making it very difficult to replace.
This Canadian stock had its biggest drawdown in its history this year. It fell just short of 50% over 52 weeks. The market was screaming that AI would wipe out its business model. It kept running its businesses and acquiring others. While it is yet to recover all of its losses, it has recovered 36% in the past three months.
If it can continue to deliver high-teens to low-20 % growth for the immediate future, there is no reason this Canadian stock can’t continue to deliver long-term. The greatest part is you can buy it at a very attractive valuation, even after the price recovery. This company never sells a business, so it’s the perfect stock for long-term investors.
