There’s no shortage of great Canadian stocks on the market for investors to consider. That being said, I would only recommend a few of them to my closest friends and family. That’s because I know they aren’t going to be watching every market movement or news headline.
And it’s worth noting that no stock is immune to volatility. Share prices will drop, recessions happen, and even the strongest investments face challenges.
That’s why if I were asked for five Canadian stocks to buy and hold for years, I would turn to more established businesses that have steady demand, growth potential, and maybe some income-earning prospects too.
Here are the five Canadian stocks I would prioritize in a portfolio right now.
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Start with Canadian stocks that can be understood
A friend once told me that if you can explain how a business makes money, then you can understand if it will continue to make money.
That’s the case when it comes to the first two Canadian stocks, Canadian National Railway (TSX: CNR) and Canadian Utilities (TSX: CU).
Canadian National Railway operates a massive rail network that connects three coastlines across North America. The railway hauls over $250 billion worth of goods each year across that network.
This gives it an enormous competitive advantage. Many of those goods are essential products or raw materials for other products. As a result, Canadian National is able to generate a recurring revenue stream that has allowed the company to increase its dividend each year for the past three decades.
Turning to Canadian Utilities, that stability comes through differently. Canadian Utilities is a regulated utility, providing electricity and natural gas service to customers regardless of how the economy is moving.
Like Canadian National, this allows the company to generate a stable revenue stream that lets Canadian Utilities invest in growth initiatives and pay a quarterly dividend.
In fact, that stability has allowed Canadian Utilities to provide annual upticks to that dividend for 54 consecutive years. That’s the longest dividend increase streak in Canada.
The company also has a capital plan that extends through 2030, with $12 billion targeted to grow its rate base and earnings.
Add some growth into the mix
Once that stable foundation is built, the other three Canadian stocks I would consider are Royal Bank (TSX: RY), Alimentation Couche-Tard (TSX: ATD) and Brookfield Infrastructure (TSX: BIPC).
Each brings something different to the portfolio.
Royal Bank is the largest of Canada’s big bank stocks. The company operates under personal banking, wealth management, insurance and capital markets segments.
Canada’s big banks are often regarded as great investments to consider because of their well-regulated domestic market, long-term growth potential, and handsome dividends.
In the case of Royal Bank, not only does the bank offer that stability, but it also boasts over a century of dividend payments and growth.
Alimentation Couche-Tard offers more of a growth tilt. The company is one of the largest convenience store and gas station operators on the planet.
It’s also one of the most defensive. People need to buy fuel, food and everyday essentials, even when the market isn’t cooperating. Couche-Tard combines that recurring demand with a massive footprint and history of acquisitions.
Wrapping up the portfolio is Brookfield Infrastructure. Brookfield owns essential infrastructure assets around the globe. That includes utilities, transportation assets, midstream, and even data assets.
Many of those assets generate contracted or regulated cash flows, providing some utility-like stability.
Adding to that appeal is Brookfield’s dividend and long-term growth potential. As of the time of writing, Brookfield offers a quarterly dividend that carries a yield of 4.9%.
The company is also targeting annual distribution growth of that dividend to fall between 5% and 9%, making it a great long-term holding.
The safest stock is still the one you can hold
All stocks, even the most defensive, carry risk. That’s why the importance of diversifying can’t be stated enough.
Fortunately, the five stocks mentioned above all offer unique moats with defensive appeal that complement their growth and income-earning potential.
In my opinion, one or all of the above would be great core holdings in a larger, well-diversified portfolio. Even a portoflio held by my family and closest friends.
