Have you ever wondered how the stock market always recovers from the worst of the crisis? Every situation brings opportunities for some and challenges for others. The ones with opportunities grow up in the ranks or enter the markets, while those with challenges fall in the ranks, and some even exit the market. You might be holding several tech, energy, financial, and real estate stocks in your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). A simple adjustment could help you unlock value and shield your portfolio from 2026 risks.

The market scenario in 2026

The year 2026 started with an energy shock, sending all Canadian energy stocks to a new high. A similar pattern was seen in the 2022 Russia-Ukraine war.

If you own Suncor Energy (TSX:SU) in your TFSA, you saw its value surge 55% this year to as high as $94.34. But a correction is on its way. Does this call for some profit booking? If we draw parallels with the 2022 situation, Suncor stock surged 45% in three months from March to May before correcting 30% in the next four months. The stock has completed its three-month rally, and the WTI price has touched US$112.95.

Oil prices cannot go beyond a threshold; otherwise, it will trigger a dip in demand. Countries start rationing oil, reducing consumption, and shifting to alternatives, thereby pulling down oil prices. The 1970s and 80s oil crisis is a textbook example of this scenario.

But why are we discussing this? It is time to make that small TFSA adjustment to protect your portfolio from falling in 2026.

One simple TFSA adjustment that could help shield you in 2026

Suncor Energy and other oil and gas stocks, like Cenovus Energy, could see a correction anytime soon. But what if they rise further? You can take the mid-route and sell 25-30% of your oil and gas shares at the current peak, while holding the rest. This way, you will book profits and have some shares that could benefit from another upside, if any.

Instead of withdrawing that amount from your TFSA, you can reinvest the profits in Shopify (TSX:SHOP) and Descartes Systems (TSX:DSG). Some resilient technology stocks are currently down.

Shopify

Shopify is at its seasonal low. It tends to pick up momentum in October and peak in November and February. Its business is based on the flywheel concept, where better sales for merchants convert to better revenue for Shopify. The company has introduced some artificial intelligence (AI) tools to help merchants improve the online store performance, target customers more efficiently, and generate better sales. The next three to four years could see AI-driven growth materialize.

Descartes Systems

Descartes Systems offers logistics and supply chain management solutions largely in the United States. First, the tariff war and then the Iran war disrupted trade volumes, pulling down Descartes stock. Now is the time to buy it as the United States returns the tariff money and the intensity of tariffs eases.

Whenever trade issues ease and volumes pick up, Descartes will be ready to cater to the changed needs of the new supply chain. For that, it has been acquiring several smaller companies for their technology.

Investor takeaway

Such timely rebalancing from outperforming segments to underperforming segments with future growth potential can be done tax-free in your TFSA. Otherwise, in a normal account, the profit booking from Suncor would trigger a capital gain tax. Such taxes often dilute the impact of rebalancing. Many Canadians are not aware of the true potential of tax-free growth of investments and miss out on such opportunities.

The post 1 Simple TFSA Adjustment That Could Help Shield You in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• The Dividend Stocks I’d Use to Try to Outperform the TSX
• The Best Places to Put Your TFSA Contribution if You’re Focused on Growth
• 3 Canadian Stocks to Buy Before the Next Earnings Surprise
• 5 Stocks to Hold for the Next Decade
• 1 Canadian Energy Stock That Looks Like a Compelling Buy Right Now

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends Descartes Systems Group. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

Canadian energy stocks, artificial intelligence (AI) stocks, and any other growth stocks have already reached their peak valuations. It might get you thinking, or rather overthinking, if you should buy these stocks at their peak. Companies that are already growing can give you immediate returns, but for risk-averse overthinkers, they will always be risky investments. If you have $3,000 and want to invest in high-potential growth stocks without overthinking, be ready to buy and forget for at least five years.

2 high-potential growth stocks worth buying without overthinking it

The potential growth comes from companies investing in the future whose growth cycle has not yet begun or is in early stages. Such companies also come with risks of failure in a crisis. Nevertheless, the rewards are worth the risk as they trade at cheap valuations.

The potential growth of Ballard Power

Ballard Power Systems (TSX:BLDP) stock jumped 75% after releasing its 2025 earnings on March 10. And if you think the stock has already rallied, look at its growth potential. Ballard Power Systems has been working on hydrogen fuel cell technology for decades. After several trials and errors, the technology became workable and is now heading towards being commercially feasible.

One major reason hydrogen cars have not yet hit the roads is the high cost of ownership and the refueling infrastructure. Ballard has been working with several European and North American companies to run commercial vehicles on hydrogen. Buses and rail have been the revenue generators so far.

Even with orders in the pipeline, project feasibility was not assured. Ballard has reduced these instances over the years and reported its first-ever gross margin in 2025.

The company has even hired professional management — a new CEO and COO — and tasked them to improve fundamentals and turn the company’s cash flows positive by 2027. This fundamental reset could give some earnings and sales to compare prices with. Right now, the best valuation for Ballard is price-to-book value, which is at 1.7 times

If hydrogen fuel adoption picks up, especially in an energy crisis, Ballard stock could give triple-digit growth in five years. It also carries a risk of a slow uptick in technology, as was the case with the Internet of Things. Even when technology is good and commercials are attractive, widespread adoption is not guaranteed, which brings risk and prevents tech companies from taking on debt.

Topicus.com stock

Topicus.com (TSXV:TOI) stock lost 53% of its value when the parent company’s founder resigned. Moreover, fears of AI replacing software maintenance jobs left almost all enterprise software companies in the red. Many software companies joined hands with AI-first companies, exploring ways to fit AI. Such companies are struggling to justify the AI cost. The other type is AI-first companies, like Claude and OpenAI. They are built on AI, and their key product is AI. They are offering agentic AI services to enhance human productivity.

Topicus.com acquires software companies that work on mission-critical applications and thrive on the maintenance cash flow. It is observing how AI is changing the landscape and is open to exploring opportunities where there are returns. While the AI risk exists, the market seems to have discounted the stock too much.

Topicus.com reported a 53% decrease in net income in 2025 because it used the equity method of accounting for the stake it bought in publicly traded Asseco Poland. In this method, Topicus.com updated the value of its share holdings in Asseco every quarter. However, this method doesn’t align with Topicus.com’s business model, which is more focused on free cash flow.

The 2026 earnings could see a remarkable recovery as it ends the equity method of accounting and continues to realize the cash flows from Asseco. The steep decline in share price has made the forward price-to-earnings (P/E) multiple of 22.5 times attractive. It is the lowest in two years. When earnings per share are corrected in 2026, the stock price could surge to adjust to the P/E multiple.

The post Have $3,000 to Invest? 2 High-Potential Growth Stocks Worth Buying Without Overthinking It appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

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• How Much Should a 20-Year-Old Canadian Have in Their TFSA to Retire?

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Topicus.com. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

Building your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) portfolio? High growth and high dividend stocks should be your ideal choice to make the most of the TFSA. It allows your investments to grow tax-free. It means you can rebalance your portfolio within the TFSA without triggering any tax event from the sale of shares.

Why every TFSA must have a Canadian ETF

Individual stocks carry company-specific risk that could make your portfolio volatile in difficult times. A strategic asset allocation in a Canadian ETF can mitigate risk by spreading your investments across stocks and automatically rebalancing alongside the market movement.

What does this mean?

Many Canadians delay investing in stocks due to fears of parting with their cash for the long term. Stock market investing brings company-specific risk and opportunity. When you buy the dip of a fundamentally strong stock, you know it will give you good returns. However, when those returns will come is a matter of forecast. This creates a liquidity risk. When you need money the most, the stock may not be at its best price, and you might be forced to sell at a loss.

A market ETF reduces this risk as it is relatively less volatile than an individual stock. An ETF mirrors an index and quarterly rebalances stock weightage to match the index. This rebalancing automatically reduces exposure to poor-performing stocks and increases exposure to the performing ones.

One strategic Canadian ETF every TFSA should have

As the world moves towards artificial intelligence (AI), the technology sector is set to experience high growth. However, it comes with extreme volatility because of the disruptive nature of the tech revolution. For instance, cloud replaced licensing software in many applications, and now AI is replacing some basic software. While new technology disrupts older technology, it also creates new opportunities for upgrade and efficiency.

A technology ETF helps you capture the opportunity of new technology, and auto rebalancing can reduce the downside risk of outdated tech. iSharesS&P/TSX Capped Information Tech Idx ETF (TSX:XIT) invests in some resilient technology stocks. It has around 25% holdings in each Shopify, Constellation Software (TSX:CSU), and Celestica (TSX:CLS).

The three stocks are market leaders in their segments of e-commerce, vertical-specific software, and original design manufacturers (ODMs).

Celestica stock

Celestica’s stock has surged 50% in April as it onboarded a third hyperscaler customer. The company will manufacture network switches for Advanced Micro Devices’s Helios rack-scale AI platform. Celestica is riding the AI rally by providing assembly and manufacturing services for cloud networking and AI data centres. The company has graduated from being a contract manufacturer to ODM and is preferred by all big names in the AI space.

Constellation Software

Constellation Software has been in a downturn since its founder resigned for health reasons. Although the chief operating officer has taken the reins, a business succession is never without hiccups. The timing of the succession has made investors apprehensive as AI is challenging the need for sticky licensing software, on which Constellation’s portfolio is built. The company even reported a 30% decrease in net income in 2025 as the acquisition of Asseco Poland shares increased its finance cost.

However, its secular growth trend of acquiring cash flow-rich vertical-specific software companies and reinvesting that cash to buy more companies remains intact. The company will work towards reducing its leverage and increasing its free cash flow as opportunities come. That will drive long-term growth.

How the XIT ETF can help your TFSA

If you were to invest $10,000 each in the above three stocks on January 1, 2026, your portfolio value would be volatile. If it weren’t for Celestica, the other two stocks would have reduced portfolio value significantly. The XIT mitigates this blow and gives you similar exposure.

Also, you can get exposure to all three stocks for just $70.6 per unit of the XIT ETF, for which you would otherwise need more than $3,200 to buy one stock of each.

The post The 1 Strategic Canadian ETF I’d Make Sure Every TFSA Includes appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• The Canadian Stocks I’d Consider If I Had $5,000 to Invest in 2026
• 2 TSX Stocks I’d Buy Aggressively the Next Time Markets Pull Back
• 3 Canadian Stocks to Buy This Spring
• 3 Stocks Worth Buying and Holding Through 2026 and Beyond
• What is One of the Best Tech Stocks to Own for the Next Decade?

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Celestica, and Constellation Software. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

You planned to clear all your debts by 50, retire at 60, let your investments pay for the next five years, and then collect Canada Pension Plan (CPP) at 65. However, not everything goes as planned. Chaos often comes unannounced, disrupts your well-crafted plan, and sidetracks your goals. When uncertainty strikes, you need a bolder savings approach to get your investments back on track.

Are you falling behind on your retirement goals?

You might be in your early 40s or late 30s, and your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is barely $20,000. It may look like you are falling behind if your friends and colleagues are ahead in their savings game. But a $20,000 TFSA balance at age 40 is pretty average. Many Canadians often boost their retirement savings when they turn 45.

If you thought about retirement at 35 or 40, you are still ahead in the game. A 20-year investment horizon and some bolder investments in cyclical and high-growth tech stocks can put you back on track.

Two bold stocks to boost your retirement portfolio

When we speak of retirement savings, you always hear passive income, dividend stocks, and resilient growth stocks. But this is a bolder approach of investing in assured growth with a buffer to downside risk by ensuring the company’s fundamentals can protect it from going under.

Gold stocks

Lundin Gold (TSX:LUG) is a gold mining stock you ought to have in your retirement portfolio. And not just 5% but 10-15% of your portfolio should be invested in it. The economic power shift, global wars, and currency revaluations are strengthening gold. When the economy and markets collapse, even gold falls, but it is the first one to recover. The printed currency is reaching its cyclical peak. Drawing parallels with the 1980s oil crisis, the Great Depression, and the 2008 Global Financial Crisis, when confidence in the printed currency was shaken, gold rose.

Lundin Gold can give you exposure to the gold price as it mines gold and stores it as inventory to sell. With zero debt and a low all-in-sustaining cost (AISC) compared to its peers, Lundin is making the most of the rising gold prices. The gold price is falling at the moment, creating a buying opportunity. Any uncertainty or interest rate cut will drive up the gold price and the stock of Lundin Gold.

The best way to optimize returns in this cyclical stock is to rebalance your portfolio by booking timely profits. You can invest $10,000 to buy 100 shares below $100 and sell half the shares when the investment value doubles. So, your investment will remain $10,000, and any growth above can be cashed out and reinvested in long-term growth stocks.

A long-term growth stock to boost retirement

The TFSA allows you to invest in U.S. stocks and retain the advantage of tax-free capital growth. Broadcom (NASDAQ:AVGO) is a long-term growth stock that has the potential to give you high growth in every technology revolution. This company makes communication chips, from Wi-Fi routers to Ethernet switches that ensure a seamless flow of data and internet, and improve efficiency.

Broadcom is not just one player but the market leader in communication chips. It has evolved its technology through innovation and acquisition to make an ecosystem instead of just one piece of communication. Broadcom acquired Symantec and VMWare for software and cybersecurity. It has made some of the boldest and largest tech acquisitions and made it successful in the long term.

In the last 10 years, Broadcom stock surged 2,800%, riding the 4G Long Term Evolution (LTE), 5G, cloud computing, and now AI network infrastructure. You know this stock will grow in the long term in every technology evolution by focusing on its not-so-high-margin but one of its stickiest products: Ethernet switches.

The post How This Bolder Savings Approach Could Help You Catch Up on Retirement Goals appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• What Is One of the Best Tech Stocks to Own for the Next 10 Years?
• Should TFSA Investors Buy Gold on a Dip?
• 5 Canadian Stocks to Watch as 2026 Really Gets Underway 
• Your RRSP Balance Doesn’t Matter as Much as These 3 Things in Retirement
• The Top Canadian Stocks to Buy Right Away With $40,000

Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Broadcom. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The stock markets are reviving after a pullback in March 2026 due to the war in Iran. The war came as a shock and redirected capital away from tech and gold stocks toward oil. Traders rushed to make short-term gains from the oil supply shock. As we saw with the Russia-Ukraine war and the Venezuela oil crisis, markets overcome the shocks and return to fundamental growth. Several tech and gold stocks bounced back in April.

2 TSX stocks to buy aggressively the next time markets pull back

Celestica stock

After falling 27% in February and early March 2026, Celestica (TSX:CLS) stock has surged 60%. It shows no signs of slowing. If only you had bought the stock during the market pullback.

One reason for the decline is a report from Digitimes that Google may potentially shift tensor processing units (TPUs) assembly work away from Celestica. The companies did not confirm the reports, but it pulled the stock down as investors feared loss of a hyperscale client.

Celestica has grown from being an assembler and electronic manufacturer to a custom Original Design Manufacturer (ODM). In the fourth quarter 2025 earnings call, its CEO stated that it has secured a significant order for a 1.6T networking switch platform from a third hyperscaler customer. Having one hyperscaler alone means significant volumes, and Celestica now has three.

In March 2026, Celestica collaborated with Advanced Micro Devices to design and manufacture networking switches for the latter’s “Helios” rack-scale artificial intelligence (AI) platform. This hints that Celestica will significantly exceed its 2026 revenue guidance of $17 billion.

Celestica is building manufacturing capacity in Taiwan and a high-performance system design center in Austin, Texas. Once these capacities come online, revenue could grow even further, making Celestica a buy as the AI data centre growth cycle is heating up once again.

Kinross Gold stock

After falling 28% in March 2026, Kinross Gold (TSX:K) stock has surged 32% to $47.88 and has still not reached its January high of $53.57. The stock fell as the gold price crashed due to rising crude prices. The Iran war diverted world central banks’ gold buying momentum as many countries struggled to control inflation without increasing interest rates.

Buying crude at higher prices further encouraged them to build more gold reserves amidst geopolitical uncertainty, wars, and de-dollarization. The gold supply is limited, and central bank buying will only increase the price of gold.

Kinross Gold is one of the largest gold mining companies having mines in Brazil, the U.S., Chile, and Mauritania. It plans to produce two million ounces of gold in 2026 at an all-in-sustaining cost of US$1,730/ounce. It generates a higher free cash flow (FCF) of $1,237 per ounce of gold produced compared to larger mines, representing a FCF yield of 10%.

Its stock is sensitive to the gold price, as a higher price fetches it more value for its inventory and achieves higher FCF. Gold price will continue to rise amidst geopolitical tensions, making Kinross a stock to buy aggressively on the next dip.

The post 2 TSX Stocks I’d Buy Aggressively the Next Time Markets Pull Back appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• The Canadian Stocks I’d Consider If I Had $5,000 to Invest in 2026
• The 1 Strategic Canadian ETF I’d Make Sure Every TFSA Includes
• 3 Stocks Worth Buying and Holding Through 2026 and Beyond
• What is One of the Best Tech Stocks to Own for the Next Decade?
• If I Were Only Buying 3 Stocks Right Now, These Would Be Them

Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Advanced Micro Devices, Alphabet, and Celestica. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The US-Israel-Iran war has ignited the global energy crisis. There is demand and supply, but the means for supply to reach the demand have been hit by war. The Strait of Hormuz is the main route to ship 25% of the world’s oil. With ships not allowed to pass, US oil inventory figures keep rising.

What is driving energy prices?

The oil prices are now being determined by the next shipping update rather than by the U.S. inventory figure. The shipping update depends on how negotiations progress. Thus, one day you see the Brent Crude price drop to US$90/barrel, and the next day it touches US$106. The value of Brent crude influences the value of Western Texas Intermediary (WTI) crude.

In the Russia-Ukraine scenario, we saw a shift in the supply chain. Europe shifted from Russian gas to North American alternatives. Southeast Asia moved from American to Russian gas. The Iran war could bring another structural change in the supply chain. This time, Canada could be one of the beneficiaries as its LNG Canada exports take the western North Pacific route, away from the Strait of Hormuz.

US oil and gas exports are concentrated towards the eastern side and dependent on the Strait of Hormuz to transport oil to Asia. The war is destroying critical infrastructure in Iran. There is no end in sight, and thus, efforts to restore the trade situation to peaceful transit are stymied. It now makes economic sense for Canada, Russia, China, and Australia to invest in oil and gas transit infrastructure in the North Pacific, which was earlier a risky and expensive venture.

Canadian energy dividend stocks worth watching right now

Canadian energy stocks are surging as oil prices rise and energy infrastructure stocks are surging as the government accelerates construction. Three Canadian energy dividend stocks are worth watching as the new energy supply chain sets in.

Canadian Natural Resources

Canadian Natural Resources (TSX:CNQ) has the second-largest oil sands reserves, produces both oil and natural gas at low cost, and is connected to pipelines. The stock surged 32% year-to-date as WTI prices increased above US$90 when the company increased production. The energy producer will enjoy windfall gains from the high price, which it will use to strengthen its balance sheet and buy back shares.

If Canada expands its energy export market, Canadian Natural Resources will have more bandwidth to expand and increase production. Its low price will help it enjoy strong free cash flows and grow dividends at an accelerated rate. Earlier fears of a significant number of liquified natural gas (LNG) export facilities creating a supply glut have faded. The need for a secure and stable supply could drive demand for Canadian oil and gas.

Suncor stock

Suncor Energy (TSX:SU) could be a key beneficiary of Canada’s energy growth story as the country’s largest integrated oil company. The company has been reducing its WTI breakeven from US$53 to US$43/barrel and aims to reduce it by another US$5 by 2028. Both Suncor and CNQ include their dividends and net capital cost in the breakeven cost.

The commodity market is shifting. Countries are diversifying their energy sources, reducing dependency on one supplier. The demand for an assured and stable energy supply makes Canada an attractive alternative for new trade deals.

Canadian energy pipeline stocks worth watching right now

In this energy shift, TC Energy (TSX:TRP) could take the spotlight in the Canadian LNG export opportunity. Its Coastal Gaslink pipeline accumulates LNG from other pipelines and connects it to LNG Canada, from where the gas is shipped. With Canada expanding LNG Canada capacity, Coastal Gaslink could transmit significant volumes, which could drive dividend growth.

TC Energy has spun off its Achilles heel, the oil pipeline business, to focus on fast-growing gas pipelines. It is a stock to own for capital and dividend growth.

The post The Canadian Energy Dividend Stocks Worth Watching Right Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

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Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian Natural Resources. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Many Canadians often realize the true wealth generation potential of a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) later in life. The average TFSA balance of the 45–49 age group was $24,150 in 2023, even when the cumulative contribution room was $88,000. With an average unused contribution of $61,381, you still have time to boost your TFSA.

Staying invested in fundamentally strong stocks brings compounding returns. You cannot make up for the lost time, but a few fast-growing stocks can give your TFSA a meaningful boost.

Two TSX stocks to boost TFSA returns

Micron Technology (TSX:MU) stock has jumped 650% since April 2025 and shows no signs of slowing. This crazy rally mirrors that of Nvidia back in 2023. When analysts said Nvidia is too expensive after a 700% rally, there was a pause in growth, only for another 700% rally to follow. Micron is having an Nvidia-moment. The 2025–2027 period could become an historic growth cycle for this stock.

Memory chips are used in almost every device and in different forms. The dynamic random access memory (DRAM) that goes inside a desktop can’t be used in a laptop, mobile, server, or cloud network. All these platforms need memory just as they need electricity, but their forms are different.

Hyperscalers are pouring billions into building artificial intelligence (AI) data centres. While they have achieved desired results from less-powerful graphics processing units and processors, memory needs have no alternative. Processing large language models needs DRAM to access and process data and NAND to store them. High bandwidth memory (HBM) that goes into AI data centres is commanding high margins for Micron.

The HBM demand is so high that Micron and its two fellow memory chip makers are spending billions on building new facilities. The HBM has created a whole new memory chip category, like PC DRAM and mobile DRAM.

When will this cycle end? Analysts say the cycle will continue at least till mid-2026. But Micron sees no signs of slowing in 2026.

Is Micron a TFSA stock to own?

Buying midcycle has its risks. You are constantly worried about when the cycle will end. That makes the stock even more volatile around quarterly earnings as the numbers will drive the story forward. The fiscal 2026 first-quarter earnings in December sent the stock up 87% in little over a month. However, second-quarter earnings in March pulled the stock down 30% in less than 15 days. The dips are always steeper than rallies.

What makes me bearish on Micron is its data centre revenue growth. It is the fastest-growing segment, with revenue growing 51% and then 140% sequentially in the last two fiscal quarters. It now accounts for 24% of Micron’s overall revenue. This contribution could continue to grow throughout 2026 as the company ramps up HBM4 production. The rate of growth will slow, but a higher contribution from high-margin products could see earnings growth and drive the next growth cycle.

Once the data centre cycle ends, the autonomous cars and then the humanoid cycle will come. Such cyclical rallies make Micron a TFSA stock to own.

Ballard Power Systems

Another TFSA stock to buy-and-forget is Ballard Power Systems (TSX:BLDP). It is strengthening its commercial reins to boost the adoption of hydrogen fuel cell technology. Like every technology stock, it could grow by leaps and bounds with widespread adoption of its products.

Ballard’s stock price has surged 77% since its 2025 earnings release, when it reported its first positive gross margin. The company has introduced a new product that aims to reduce the total cost of ownership and bring it on par with a diesel engine. It has a new CEO whose aim is to make the company cash flow positive by 2027 by optimizing working capital, improving pricing, controlling costs, and prioritizing markets.

A fundamental reset in 2026 could make Ballard attractive to value investors.

The post 2 TSX Stocks That Could Give Your TFSA Returns a Meaningful Boost appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• Have $3,000 to Invest? 2 High-Potential Growth Stocks Worth Buying Without Overthinking It
• What the Average Canadian TFSA Looks Like at 50 – and 3 Stocks That Could Help You Catch Up
• 1 Canadian Stock I’d Be Happy to Keep in My TFSA Forever
• How Much Should a 20-Year-Old Canadian Have in Their TFSA to Retire?
• 3 Stocks That Could Turn a $100,000 Portfolio Into $1 Million Sooner Than You Might Think

Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Turning 50 rings an alarm on retirement savings. Questions like “Can my savings fund my retirement?” start giving you sleepless nights. The Statistics Canada data for the 2023 tax year showed that Canadians accelerated their Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) contributions as they approached the age group of 50–54.

What the average Canadian TFSA looks like at 50

The table below shows a 13% jump in average TFSA contributiosn between the age groups of 45–49 and 50–54. In 2023, the cumulative TFSA contribution room was $88,000, and Canadians’ TFSA balance made up for 34% of it.

Even after accelerated contributions, a $30,190 TFSA balance at age 50 is not enough to retire at age 60. You should have at least $1 million in a TFSA to help you fill the gaps from taxable government retirement benefits, like Canada Pension Plan (CPP) and Old Age Security (OAS) pension.

3 stocks that could help you catch up on your TFSA Balance

You still have 10 years to catch up on the investments. At age 50, your priority should be to invest in long-term growth stocks that can give you 10 times growth in 10 to 12 years. A $10,000 investment in four to five such stocks can help you increase your chances to grow your TFSA balance to half a million. If even one investment succeeds in delivering 10 times growth, it will make up for the slow growth of others.

Long-term growth stocks to accelerate a TFSA balance

Shopify stock

Shopify (TSX:SHOP) is a seasonal stock that can help you generate an average annual return of 30–50% in the next 10 years. The company has achieved consistent revenue and free cash flow growth. From here onwards, the flywheel business model will help accelerate growth and profit margins.

March to June are seasonal troughs, and November and February are seasonal peaks. You can make the most of this pattern by selling 50–75% of your holding in the peaks and using those profits to buy more stocks in the dips.

For instance, you invested $10,000 in Shopify in April 2024 at $96 per share and bought 104 shares. You sold 75 shares on January 31, 2025, at $169 per share, and got $12,675. Here, you book a profit while 29 shares remain invested for the long term.

You can use the $12,675 to buy 109 shares of Shopify in April 2025 at $116 per share. Now you have 138 shares (109 + 29 shares), 75% of which comes to 103 shares.

This frequent profit booking can grow your $10,000 investment to $25,597, with 40 new shares purchased only from profits. Without this process, the 104 shares would now be worth $18,616, a difference of almost $7,000. This can help you accelerate your TFSA balance, and buying and selling within a TFSA is tax-free. Just don’t withdraw the money.

A hyper-growth stock for a TFSA

Micron Technology (NASDAQ:MU) stock is at the cusp of cyclical growth as artificial intelligence (AI) data centres have created a memory chip supply shortage. This shortage will take at least two years to ease as it builds new capacity. During this time, Micron can command a higher price for its mobile and computer chips and enjoy windfall gains. Once the high-margin data centre memory chip capacity comes online, it will make up for a significant portion of its revenue. This could see another growth cycle of 100–200%.

Kinross Gold can act as a hedge against inflation and balance your TFSA portfolio from market downturns.

The post What the Average Canadian TFSA Looks Like at 50 – and 3 Stocks That Could Help You Catch Up appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 1 Simple TFSA Adjustment That Could Help Shield You in 2026
• The Best Places to Put Your TFSA Contribution if You’re Focused on Growth
• 5 Stocks to Hold for the Next Decade
• What is One of the Best Tech Stocks to Own for the Next Decade?
• Billionaires Are Selling Amazon Stock and Betting on This TSX Stock

The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends Micron Technology. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy. Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned.

A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is a place to hold future wealth creators. This requires you to look beyond the present and take risks on what could change the future. A technology that can resolve the issue of transportation fuel could be a game-changer. One Canadian company working on such a technology is Ballard Power Systems (TSX:BLDP).

A stock to keep in your TFSA forever

Ballard Power Systems makes hydrogen fuel cells, or proton exchange membrane (PEM) fuel cell power systems, for buses, trucks, trains, marine, and stationary power. While hydrogen fuel cells are a zero-emission transportation fuel, their biggest challenge is cost.

Like all new technologies, the cost is reduced over time through innovation, adoption, and operational efficiency. Ballard has been making efforts to bring its fuel cells on par with diesel systems. These efforts were supported by government adoption and incentives, especially for city transit. Ballard tested the product in Europe and North America, where the addressable market size was large, and government policies were favourable.

2025 marks a turnaround for Ballard Power Systems

Years of disciplined capital allocation, product cost reduction, clearer commercial adoption pathways, and operational efficiency helped Ballard achieve its first-ever gross profit margin of 5% in 2025. This marks a turnaround for Ballard, which has been funding its losses with its cash reserves.

You should understand the contractual obligations of Ballard, which could be a key differentiator in profit and loss. Since fuel cells are a new technology, Ballard handles end-to-end maintenance, warranty, and installation of fuel cell systems. Some contracts become unprofitable to implement and incur a termination cost. The inventory also loses value with technology upgrades.

Ballard makes a provision for all three risks that affect its gross margin. In 2025, these provisions reduced to US$10.4 million from US$12 million in 2024. As the company improves its product performance and commercial adoption, these provisions will reduce and help it achieve commercial profitability.

Three reasons to buy and hold Ballard stock in TFSA forever

Ballard Power Systems has given an optimistic outlook for 2026. It aims to reduce its operating expenses to US$70 million from US$108.9 million in 2025.

Order book

As of December 31, 2025, Ballard Power Systems has an order backlog of US$119.3 million, of which US$53.9 million is scheduled to be delivered in 12 months. This order book gives clarity in revenue for 2026. However, these figures could be revised if some contracts become onerous and are terminated.

In the long term, a clearer path to commercial adoption could make the order book Ballard’s strength and drive the stock price.

New products

The key growth catalyst for Ballard stock will come from new products. In September and October 2025, its share price surged 106% as the company launched a new-generation transit fuel cell module, the FCmove-SC, which significantly reduces operating cost and makes the total cost of ownership competitive to diesel systems.

New management

On July 31, 2025, Ballard appointed Marty Neese as president and CEO to lead its transition from research phase to commercialization. Neese will lead the company to positive cash flow by 2027 by optimizing working capital, improving pricing, controlling costs, and prioritizing markets.

The company will focus on products with the strongest commercial traction and discontinue non-core programs. Its product development efforts will focus on reducing system costs, accelerating next-gen stack, and driving higher margin offerings.

This could see a fundamental reset for Ballard in 2026 and beyond, a perfect time to buy the stock before it becomes overvalued.

TFSA investing strategy

Ballard stock has already surged 50% since the 2025 earnings release in early March and is trading at $4. It is still a buy-and-hold stock. A good strategy could be to allocate 5-10% of your TFSA portfolio to this stock by accumulating its shares $100 at a time.

The post 1 Canadian Stock I’d Be Happy to Keep in My TFSA Forever appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The energy sector is the most happening sector for dividends and capital gains post-pandemic. Steep dips and sharp surges are the new normal for oil and gas companies. Oil and gas pipeline companies are experiencing a share price rally driven by oil price increases resulting from energy shocks and the Canadian government’s initiative to accelerate energy infrastructure development.

The Iran war pushed oil stocks to a new high, making a 3.25% annual dividend yield the new normal. However, one energy stock continues to offer a higher dividend yield of 6.5%.

Invest $5,000 in this dividend stock for $324 in passive income

Like other energy stocks, Freehold Royalties (TSX:FRU) stock surged 22% between January and March as oil prices surged. However, the share price started falling after March 11 as it reported weaker 2025 earnings due to lower commodity prices in the fourth quarter. On April 13, the company’s chief financial officer resigned. The press release did not specify the reason for the resignation. This is the second top official to exit after the resignation of the chief operating officer in November 2025.

The top official’s exit is not a positive sign. Interestingly, the company’s share price remains unaffected by these exits.

While Freehold Royalties shows signs of risks, its dividends are too good to ignore in the energy upcycle. The company can sustain its current annual dividends of $1.08 per share even at US$50 West Texas Intermediate (WTI). What makes me bullish on this stock is that it has very low operational risk.

Oil companies like ConocoPhillips pay royalty for using Freehold’s reserves. Oil companies bring the equipment, drill for oil, and close the wells. Freehold gets a percentage of the value of the oil produced. Hence, the exit of the chief operating officer was not significant. The company even removed that role from its organizational structure.

The first quarter of 2026 could see windfall earnings as the oil price touched US$125. WTI has corrected to around US$84, but it is still better than the US$64.81 realized in 2025. The company could probably use the surplus to reduce debt and increase free cash flow. Its dividend payout ratio reached 87% in the fourth quarter of 2025 when oil prices fell. Its long-term payout ratio target is 60%.

The potential risk that comes with this stock

The recent resignation of the chief financial officer (CFO) could be concerning, as the new CFO will have to first gain the trust of shareholders by improving the company’s finances. The role of CFO is important as they make deal negotiations easier, handle royalty calculations, and manage cash flow and debt efficiently.

While the management issues get resolved, Freehold will continue to mint money from the royalty revenue oil companies pay Freehold for using its wells.

This dividend stock could pay $320 in annual passive income

You could consider investing $5,000 to buy 296 shares of Freehold that pay a $1.08 annual dividend per share in 12 monthly installments. It can pay you $320 in annual passive income in 2026 as oil prices are unlikely to fall below US$60/barrel anytime soon.

For every US$1/barrel change in WTI, Freehold’s funds from operations change by $3.9 million. The company assumed US$65/barrel WTI for 2026. So far, the WTI has been above US$80.

The company will allocate its surplus cash flow to acquire more land, repay debt, and buy back shares. That is the order of priority after paying dividends. Its stock price will correct as the oil price falls. However, improvement in fundamentals could help Freehold sustain its higher share price.

The post Invest $5,000 in This Dividend Stock for $320 in Passive Income appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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• 5 Reasons to Buy Freehold Royalties Stock Like There’s No Tomorrow
• 3 Canadian Dividend Stocks to Own if Markets Stay Choppy
• Beyond Telus: A High-Yield Stock Perfect for Income Lovers

Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Freehold Royalties. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.