Some of the most successful portfolios are the most boring ones. Famous investor George Soros said, “If investing is entertaining, if you’re having fun, you’re probably not making any money. Good investing is boring.” There is no secret or insider trading needed. Just the most obvious stocks sitting in your portfolio, doing the most obvious dip and rally alongside the market.

Five TSX stocks to buy for a winning portfolio

Companies that have stable businesses, regular cash flows, and manageable debt are a good pick for your core portfolio. Stocks can give returns in the form of capital gains and dividends. Even a stable business goes through economic ups and downs. But investing is knowing that the dip is an opportunity to buy.

Descartes Systems stock

Take the case of Descartes Systems (TSX:DSG), a supply chain management solutions provider. The company offers customs and compliance solutions, Global Trade Intelligence, e-commerce, route planning, inventory management, and all logistics solutions a company needs. Its stock has been declining since the 2025 US tariff war. However, the company continued to grow revenue and earnings through acquisitions and increased its net cash reserve throughout these 18 months. As we said before, businesses do take a fall from economic and industrial headwinds. But their fundamentals and preparedness to recover are what make them a stock to buy for a winning portfolio.

Loblaw stock

Loblaw (TSX:L) is the supermarket where Canadians come to buy food and medicine. It has adopted a sustainable retail store model. The grocery chain keeps opening new stores and achieving breakeven at a faster rate through data-driven insights. New store openings are neither aggressive nor too slow. Loblaw is leveraging its strengths of large footfall to help brands reach customers through advertising in Loblaw stores, on its e-commerce site, and through the PC Optimum loyalty program.

Loblaw keeps adapting to the changing retail trends. For instance, it earned from the “Buy Canadian” move in 2025 by stocking up Canadian alternatives to US products. This moving-with-the-trend approach helps Loblaw’s stock price double every five years. You may not find a story of unprecedented growth here, but slow and steady returns.

CT REIT

The two stocks we discussed so far can give calm growth in the long term. CT REIT (TSX:CRT.UN) can also give you assured monthly dividends. The business model is simple. Canadian Tire has stores all over Canada, and CT REIT is the subsidiary that buys, develops, and maintains the stores. The retailer gives a down payment to develop the store. CT REIT leases the store to the parent. Rent increases by 1.5% annually, and overall income increases as new stores get added.

You benefit from a 5.3% dividend yield, which grows by an average annual rate of 3%. The unit price also increases as more stores are added to CT REIT’s property portfolio.

Cogeco Communications stock

Another dividend stock worth owning is Cogeco Communications (TSX:CCA). The stock was volatile like other telecom stocks, but it has now established a price range that reflects the shift from an oligopoly market to a price-competitive market. This shift reduced Cogeco’s average revenue per user and the dividend growth. The market has priced in the reduction, and now the dividend yield is closer to 6% and dividend growth in the range of 6–8%. Its 30% dividend payout ratio makes it a relatively safer dividend stock, as the company has the flexibility to pay dividends even in a volatile market.

The XQQ ETF

The iShares NASDAQ 100 Index ETF (CAD-Hedged) (TSX:XQQ) is a cost-efficient way to get exposure to the US tech landscape from the comfort of the TSX. The ETF mirrors the Nasdaq 100 Index, which could see the entry of SpaceX, Anthropic, and OpenAI in the next few months. If these stocks become the next trillion-dollar market cap, the XQQ ETF could surge by leaps and bounds. And if the AI bubble bursts, the ETF could limit the downside to 30–40% instead of 80–90% when investing in individual stocks.

The post 5 TSX Stocks to Buy for a Calm, Boring, Winning Portfolio appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 2 Canadian Growth Stocks Worth Adding to a TFSA This Year
• 2 Canadian Stocks Supercharged to Surge in 2026
• How to Turn the 2026 TFSA Contribution Into $70,000 or More
• How to Use Your TFSA to Average $2,500 Per Year in Tax-Free Passive Income
• One Canadian Dividend Stock Built to Hold in Any Market

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

Holding a single-stock portfolio is every so often a unique reality for many company founders, employees who got rich through equity ownership schemes, and heirs of concentrated portfolios. However, there’s significant company-specific risk exposure for such highly concentrated portfolios. Financial advisors often spend a lot of time crafting complex strategies to diversify risks and “liquidate” single-stock portfolios without triggering immediate tax consequences.

But what if you aren’t a founder or an heir, and you simply want a low-maintenance, bulletproof investment strategy? If you were forced to choose just one single equity position to buy and hold for the long haul, you would want a secure, foundational long-term holding.

Instead of gambling on an individual business, the smartest move is to cheat the question slightly and buy a single ticker, an exchange traded fund (ETF), that behaves like an entire diversified portfolio, and pays monthly dividends: the iShares S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend Index ETF (TSX:XEI).

XEI ETF: Instant diversification with Canadian high-dividend-yield blue chips

While the iShares S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend ETF trades like an ordinary stock on the Toronto Stock Exchange, it’s a low-cost index ETF that seeks long-term growth by cheaply bundling a $4.1 billion portfolio of high dividend yield Canadian stocks. Rather than tying your financial future to the fortunes of a single corporation, the XEI ETF spreads your investment risk across 75 different holdings, prioritizing top-tier high-yield Canadian blue-chip stocks.

Furthermore, investors gain wide sector diversification across the strongest pillars of the Canadian economy. The ETF’s largest sector allocations include financials at 32.8%, energy sector stocks at 29.6%, utilities at 12.8%, with communication, consumer discretionary and real estate stocks contributing significant weights at 7.8%, 5.9% and 4.2% respectively.

Best of all, this comprehensive diversification doesn’t come with a hefty fee. The XEI ETF features a low Management Expense Ratio (MER) of 0.22%, which translates to just $2.20 per every $1,000 invested. Keeping your investment costs low leaves much of the net return intact to compound over time.

A reliable monthly dividend growth ETF

For long-term buy-and-hold investors, steady cash flow is a massive advantage. The XEI ETF satisfies this need beautifully by paying out a reliable monthly dividend income, currently boasting an annual dividend yield of 3.6%.

Even better, these payouts may keep growing because most of the ETF’s index constituents are proven dividend growth stocks. For instance, its holdings include utility giant Fortis stock, which has raised its dividends every single year for 52 years and counting.

In fact, at the time of writing, about 45% (nearly half) of the XEI ETF’s holdings are among the 96 constituents of the premium iShares S&P/TSX Canadian Dividend Aristocrats Index ETF (TSX:CDZ). This means nearly half of XEI’s portfolio consists of elite dividend stocks that have successfully raised their payouts consistently over the past five consecutive years. This high-quality roster has driven XEI’s overall dividend to grow by a staggering 130% since 2011.

Tremendous historical outperformance

The XEI ETF is much more than just a defensive income play — it has proven to be a total return powerhouse. Year-to-date, the ETF has already generated an impressive 22.4% total return.

Looking at the bigger picture, since its inception in 2011, investors who bought and held the iShares S&P/TSX Composite High Dividend Index ETF could be sitting on a stellar 335% total return on this single ETF position. On a total return basis, since its 2011 inception, the XEI ETF has comfortably outperformed the broader S&P/TSX Composite Index’s total return of 291%.

XEI data by YCharts

When you break down those historical gains, the XEI ETF’s monthly dividend did the heavy lifting, supplementing a 99% capital gain to deliver that massive total return.

The Foolish bottom line

If you are looking to invest in a single ticker that offers comprehensive sector diversification, low management fees, consistent monthly cash flow, and long-term historical outperformance, the XEI ETF appears appealing. It’s an eligible foundational holding to buy and hold for the long haul, even in registered accounts.

That said, if one insists on buying just one pure stock today, our in-house analysts have curated high conviction lists of potential multi-baggers, making the investment research process less time consuming, and the wealth building journey more exciting.

The post If I Could Only Buy and Hold a Single Stock, This Would Be It appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• How Much Canadians Typically Have in a TFSA By Age 50
• 2 Monthly-Income ETFs With Yields Reaching as High as 5.2%
• 3 Canadian ETFs Worth Tucking Into a TFSA and Holding for the Long Haul

Fool contributor Brian Paradza 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.

A Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) and Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) are the most used registered savings accounts among Canadians. Those who are good at calculating tax benefits make the most of the two accounts, and it is visible in the typical balance of these accounts. The latest RRSP and TFSA data available on Statistics Canada is only for the 2023 tax year.

There is a remarkable difference in the average ($88,600) and median ($30,000) RRSP balance of a Canadian in the 35–44 age group. The same is the case with the TFSA average ($32,300) and median ($12,000) balance.

What the Typical 40-Year-Old Canadian Has in Their TFSA and RRSP

Looking at such a stark difference in numbers, how does one determine what a typical 40-year-old Canadian has in their RRSP and TFSA? The median shows the midpoint of the range, while the average can be skewed by a handful of accounts holding significant balances.

The gap between the two shows that some Canadians are using these accounts extensively, and some are underusing them.

RRSP vs. TFSA

In a TFSA, your contribution starts accumulating the day you turn 18 and remains the same for all income groups. In an RRSP, contributions depend on your taxable income. The Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) sets the RRSP contribution limit as 18% of your previous year’s income or the maximum amount, whichever is lower.

For 2026, the income tax slab is:

• 14% on income up to $58,523
• 20.5% on income over $58,523 up to $117,045
• 26% on income over $117,045 up to $181,440
• 29% on income over $181,440 up to $258,482
• 33% on income over $258,482

If you earned $115,000 in 2025, your 2026 RRSP contribution is 18% of your 2025 income, which comes to $20,700. You can reduce this amount from your 2026 taxable income and save $4,243 in taxes at a 20.5% tax rate. You pay tax later when you withdraw from an RRSP.

If you invest the same amount in a TFSA, provided you have the contribution room, you pay the $4,243 in tax in 2026. Any amount withdrawn later is not added to taxable income.

While an RRSP defers tax, the TFSA makes you pay tax upfront as you contribute after-tax income. Thus, a TFSA is more beneficial for those in the low-income bracket and an RRSP for those in the high-income bracket. At age 40, you are gradually moving into the higher income bracket, accumulating more RRSP contribution room.

How to use the RRSP efficiently

If you are planning a major capital asset sale, which could push you into the higher tax bracket, you could invest small amounts in an RRSP over the years. All RRSP contributions that you didn’t claim can be carried forward to the time you receive the big capital gain and claim all at once.

Suppose your total taxable income comes to $300,000 in 2026 due to the sale of a property. Around $42,000 of your income will fall in the 33% tax bracket. You could use the accumulated RRSP to remove the $42,000 from your taxable income and defer it to the year when you are in the 14% or 20.5% tax bracket.

You can see the significant tax savings when tax rates change. That same $42,000 RRSP investment can either bring you $5,880 or $13,860 in tax savings. The RRSP is not just about reducing your current tax bill, but strategically using your RRSP contributions to reduce the biggest tax bill.

While building your RRSP contributions, consider investing that money in core stocks that give assured returns in the long term. Loblaw (TSX:L), the supermarket chain that also runs pharmacies, banking, and apparel, has a defensive investment appeal. Its revenue growth is steady in the 4–4.5% range. The grocer is expanding sales by adding new stores, not aggressively but strategically.

Although Loblaw is also a dividend payer, its less than 1% yield makes dividends unattractive. Instead, Loblaw has been doubling investors’ money every five years since 2012, after the economy recovered from the 2008 Global Financial Crisis.

Loblaw’s resilience and assured growth make it a stock worthy of an RRSP.

The post What the Typical 40-Year-Old Canadian Has in Their TFSA and RRSP appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• The TSX is Rotating: 2 Stocks to Buy Before the Next Shift
• The Economy Is Slowing: 2 TSX Stocks I’d Still Buy Today
• One Canadian Dividend Stock Built to Hold in Any Market
• Safer Dividend Stocks to Buy With $20,000 Right Now
• The Best Canadian Stocks to Own During a Trade War

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.

While maintaining the policy interest rate decision at 2.25% on Wednesday, the Bank of Canada (BoC) noted the economy remains in excess supply, “even with some rebound” expected for the second quarter of 2026. While it’s still possible that Canada may dodge a recession, again, economic uncertainty persists as U.S. authorities resume tariff “attacks” and an inflationary Iran war persists. For long-term investors, the best offence during a potential economic downturn is a bulletproof defence. On the Toronto Stock Exchange, a true defence means one thing: investing in reliable, cash-generating dividend stocks.

If you are looking to fortify your portfolio today, here are three TSX dividend stocks built to withstand the toughest economic storms.

Fortis: The ultimate defensive dividend stock to hold through recessions

If there were a hall of fame for defensive Canadian dividend stocks to buy for recession-proof passive income, Fortis Inc. (TSX:FTS) stock would sit right at the entrance. Fortis is a regulated electric and gas utility giant serving millions of customers across North America. The beauty of the TSX utility stock’s business model is beautifully simple: no matter how tight consumer budgets get, people still prioritize heating their homes and keeping the lights on.

Strong and predictable demand has allowed Fortis stock to achieve something historic: 52 consecutive years of annual dividend increases. It’s the second longest dividend growth streaks in Canadian dividend stock history. FTS can comfortably raise its quarterly dividends through high inflation, soaring interest rates, and multiple global recessions.

While sustained capital appreciation has nudged Fortis stock’s current dividend yield down to 3.3%, the electric utility remains the quintessential defensive stock to buy and hold for long-term passive income.

Investors prioritizing absolute capital preservation and steady, compounding income growth may consider FTS stock as close to an all-weather core-portfolio anchor.

Enbridge stock: An energy infrastructure tollbooth, a diversified cash flow behemoth

Energy infrastructure titan Enbridge (TSX:ENB) stock operates an unparalleled network of liquids and natural gas pipelines, moving a massive chunk of the crude oil and natural gas consumed across North America. It’s a giant tollbooth, collecting steady fees based on the volume of energy passing through its pipes. Cash flows from new gas utility businesses and a growing renewable energy contracts portfolio means Enbridge has morphed into a diversified blue-chip dividend stock with strong economic moats, sticky customer demand, and a stellar balance sheet that survives economic downturns.

With roughly 98% of its earnings tied to long-term contracts or highly regulated frameworks, Enbridge’s cash flow is heavily insulated from erratic swings in oil and gas prices. This financial stability has enabled management to raise dividends for 30 consecutive years now, even during past recessions.

Following recent strong stock price performance, Enbridge stock’s dividend has reduced to under 5% annually. Backed by a massive, $40 billion secured growth capital investment program that targets growing distributable cash flow per share by 5% annually, Enbridge has plenty of operational visibility to keep funding its steady dividend increases well into the future, making it an elite investment candidate for defensive income portfolios.

Polaris Renewable Energy: The high-yield growth wildcard

Canadian investors who wish to juice up their defensive portfolios with a bit more yield and geographic diversification may check out Polaris Renewable Energy (TSX:PIF) stock right now. Polaris Renewable Energy operates a diversified portfolio of geothermal, hydro, solar, and wind projects across Latin America. Much like domestic utilities, its revenues and cash flows are anchored by long-term Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs), providing excellent operational cash flow predictability.

Polaris Renewable Energy stock recently gave income investors a major reason to cheer. The utility stock experienced a massive 12.4% surge on Tuesday following an exciting announcement that Mexico selected three of the company’s major solar and battery storage projects under a highly competitive national development program. PPAs on such projects may stretch for 25 years.

Even after a recent double-digit share price surge, PIF stock’s quarterly dividend still yields a respectable 5.5% annually, paid in more stable United States dollars. While its emerging-market footprint introduces slightly more macro volatility than domestic utilities, the long-term contract structures and a massive new expansion runway in Mexico make it an incredibly compelling, high-yield small holding to turbocharge your recession-resistant passive income stream.

The post 3 Canadian Dividend Stocks That Look Built to Hold Up Through a Recession appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• Here’s How I’d Invest $5,000 in Canadian Stocks Right Now
• 3 TSX Dividend Champions Every Retiree Should Consider
• The Canadian Dividend Stocks I’d Be Most Comfortable Holding in a TFSA Forever
• Have $21,000 Sitting in a TFSA? Here’s a Dividend Stock Worth Putting It Into
• The Best $10,000 TFSA Approach for Canadian Investors

Fool contributor Brian Paradza has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Polaris Renewable Energy. The Motley Fool recommends Enbridge and Fortis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Canadian economy may be increasingly turbulent in 2026. The loonie hit a two-month low of 1.3961 per U.S. dollar this week to mark one of its weakest levels since late March. Speculators have aggressively ramped up short positions as the Canadian dollar faces heavy pressure from a technical recession, slowing economic growth, and looming uncertainty surrounding the upcoming CUSMA trade agreement’s review. To complicate matters, the Bank of Canada is widely expected to hold its key interest rate steady at 2.25% at its upcoming policy decision, balancing persistent inflation from high energy prices against a weakening macroeconomic outlook.

When economic clouds gather and market volatility spikes, smart investors shift their focus toward proven “defensive”, reliable income generators. If you are looking for a reliable passive income source built to potentially withstand all economic cycles – booms, recessions, and everything in between – CT Real Estate Investment Trust (TSX:CRT.UN), or CT REIT, deserves a prominent spot on your radar.

A stable 5.5% monthly dividend yield you can count on

CT REIT is built differently than an average Canadian retail real estate investment trust. The trust owns a high-quality portfolio of 375 mostly retail properties spanning 31.7 million square feet of gross leasable area (GLA). It pays a steady monthly income distribution that translates to an appetizing 5.5% annualized yield.

But a high yield is only as good as the cash flows backing it. What makes CT REIT uniquely resilient is its highly “defensive” operational structure. It rents out its portfolio on a cost-efficient net-lease basis, protecting the REIT from rising property operational expenses.

Even better, CT REIT boasts an exceptional track record: its portfolio has remained virtually fully occupied since the trust went public in 2013, sporting a spectacular 99.4% occupancy rate heading into the second quarter of 2026.

Backed by a century-old retail giant

The secret sauce behind CT REIT’s flawless occupancy is its former parent company, Canadian Tire Corporation (TSX:CTC.A), which comprises a dominant 90.9% of the REIT’s rental revenue.

Since CT REIT is heavily dependent on a single key tenant, evaluating the Canadian monthly dividend stock requires a close look at Canadian Tire’s financial health.

Fortunately, Canadian Tire is as durable as TSX blue-chip stocks come. Founded in 1922 and formally incorporated in 1927, the company has successfully navigated every major Canadian economic downturn for over a century.

From the Great Depression of the 1930s to the COVID-19 pandemic contraction of 2020, Canadian Tire has survived about 13 significant recessionary periods. Through it all, the blue-chip retailer maintained its prized investment-grade credit rating, recently confirmed by Morningstar DBRS on June 3. Credit-rated tenants rarely default on rentals.

Given its tried-and-tested operational resilience, Canadian Tire is exceptionally well-positioned to ride out the current economic headwinds of 2026 and keep paying its rent on time, every time. As long as Canadian Tire keeps its stores open, CT REIT’s income stream remains rock-solid.

Exceptional earnings visibility and a safe payout cushion

CT REIT gives income investors incredible long-term cash flow visibility. The trust boasts a lengthy seven-year average lease term, locking in stable cash flows well into the next decade.

Furthermore, if macroeconomic pressure eventually forces interest rates down during a prolonged recession, REITs can experience a significant tailwind through lower borrowing costs on mortgage financing.

But even if macroeconomic conditions remain challenging, CT REIT is standing on solid ground. It maintains a highly conservative balance sheet with a low debt ratio of just 39% as of March 31, 2026.

More importantly for dividend growth investors, the REIT features a low adjusted funds from operations (AFFO) payout rate of 72.5%. This comfortable cushion gives trustees plenty of room to continue raising distributions, building on an impressive track record of 13 consecutive years of distribution increases.

Foolish bottom line

A choppy market in which the loonie goes under pressure and a technical recession looms shouldn’t scuttle investors in CT REIT units today. With a 5.5% yield paid monthly, a century-old anchor tenant, low leverage, and a 13-year streak of dividend hikes, this is one Canadian monthly dividend stock you can comfortably buy and hold through any market environment.

The post One Canadian Dividend Stock Built to Hold in Any Market appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 5 TSX Stocks to Buy for a Calm, Boring, Winning Portfolio
• This Canadian Stock Dropped 16% – Here’s Why I’d Buy It Anyway
• This TSX Stock Pays a 5.5% Dividend Every Single Month
• Want Growth and Dividends From the Same Portfolio? These 2 Canadian Stocks Deliver Both
• TFSA: Invest $14,000 in This TSX Stock and Create $784 in Annual Passive Income

Fool contributor Brian Paradza 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.

When evaluating Enbridge (TSX:ENB) stock as a potential long-term investment, some investors still picture a slow-moving pipelines giant built solely for defensive passive income. But if you’ve been ignoring this energy infrastructure titan lately, you’ve missed out on an absolute blockbuster run. Over the past three years, Enbridge stock has been an incredible performer.

Investors who bought shares three years ago and simply held on have earned a staggering 22.8% compound annual return, translating into an 85.4% total return. That means a modest $10,000 investment, with dividend reinvestment, potentially blossomed into more than $18,500!

ENB data by YCharts

Of course, past performance is never a guarantee of future returns. Because the stock surged 53% over the last three years, its iconic dividend yield has shrunk from north of 6% down to 4.9% for new investors buying ENB stock today. Yet management continues its relentless, three-decade sustained efforts to raise the dividend every single year.

So, what can investors expect from ENB going forward through 2029? Let’s break down the core investment returns drivers on this re-engineered monster.

Enbridge stock: An AI data centre backdoor investment play

Pause on chasing overhyped tech stocks at sky-high valuations for a while. Enbridge stock is quietly positioning itself as a premier backdoor play on the artificial intelligence (AI) and data centre construction boom.

The company is no longer just a liquids pipeline operation. In fact, more than 50% of its revenue could soon flow from gas transmission, gas distribution, and a rapidly expanding portfolio of renewable power projects. Tech giants require massive, unyielding amounts of power to run their next-generation data centres, and they are turning to Enbridge to secure it.

Consider the momentum building over the next three years within Enbridge’s capital investment program.

Tech behemoth Meta Platforms has signed on as a massive client, with three Enbridge power-generation plants coming online in 2027 specifically to serve Meta’s data centres. Enbridge is also executing a renewable power project to serve another major tech giant, and behemoths Toyota and AT&T. In total, Enbridge will bring into service six renewable power projects between 2026 and 2027. As a result, cash flows from these renewable ventures will grow rapidly over the next three years.

A fully re-engineered utility monster

Beyond the tech-related growth angles, Enbridge has transformed into a defensive powerhouse through its massive growth in the U.S. natural gas utility business. Management currently expects an impressive 8% compound annual growth rate (CAGR) in its U.S. utility rate base across North Carolina, Utah, and Ohio through 2029.

To sustain this growth, Enbridge’s disciplined financial engineering engages a robust, predominantly equity-funded growth model, actively executing a massive $40 billion secured capital backlog across its liquids, natural gas, and renewable power franchises.

Even better for investors concerned about dilutive share issuances: the company is committing between $10 billion and $11 billion of internally generated funds toward its annual investment capacity. This massive self-funding engine heavily reduces reliance on volatile debt markets or dilutive equity raises, keeping the company’s balance sheet incredibly strong and of high-quality.

Can ENB stock generate double-digit returns through 2029?

The investment returns potential on Enbridge stock remains exciting over the next three years. While executing on growth projects, management expects adjusted operating earnings, distributable cash flow per share (DCF/Share), and earnings per share (EPS) to grow at a reasonable 5% CAGR.

When you combine that highly visible 5% growth engine with a rock-solid current dividend yield of 4.9%, the path to wealth generation becomes incredibly clear. The dividend itself is well covered, supported by a safe DCF payout rate of 60% to 70%, with a potential dividend growth rate of 3% to 5% moving forward.

What about capital gains? Assuming valuation multiples remain constant, the stock price may track earnings and cash flow growth rates. If market sentiment doesn’t materially shift during the investment time horizon, ENB stock may potentially offer a beautiful 10% or near double-digit annual total returns over the next three years.

The post Where Will Enbridge Stock Be in 3 Years? appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 3 TSX Dividend Champions Every Retiree Should Consider
• Have $21,000 Sitting in a TFSA? Here’s a Dividend Stock Worth Putting It Into
• The Best $10,000 TFSA Approach for Canadian Investors
• Is Enbridge Stock Worth Buying at its Current Price?
• 2 Canadian Dividend Stocks to Snap Up on Dips

Fool contributor Brian Paradza has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Enbridge and Meta Platforms. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Consistency is the name of the game when building a resilient, passive-income-generating portfolio inside your Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA). Finding a reliable dividend stock that pays you high-yield passive income every single month, without exposing your capital to extreme operational risks, is the ultimate goal for investors implementing a buy-and-hold portfolio strategy, and this June, Freehold Royalties (TSX:FRU) stock stands out as a prime candidate for this TFSA investment strategy.

Offering a dividend of $0.09 per share, paid monthly, FRU stock yields an attractive 6.1% annually. Buying the monthly dividend stock in a TFSA account adds significantly low-risk exposure to the North American energy sector, while delivering a steady stream of tax-free cash straight into your brokerage account.

Freehold Royalties stock: The ultimate “landlord” of the oil patch

What makes Freehold Royalties a resilient stock to buy in a TFSA? The monthly dividend stock is a pure-play royalty investment that earns low-risk cash flows on production done by partners on its properties, without incurring capital costs, investing in operating activities or paying well abandonment costs.

Think of Freehold Royalties as the landlord in the energy patch. The company assumes no capital risks associated with exploration investments, nor does it assume operating risks of running an oil and gas extraction and processing business. Instead, it sub-contracts those risks to its production partners.

FRU’s partners include deep-pocketed, heavyweight operators and oil-field engineering experts at ConocoPhillips, ExxonMobil, Canadian Natural Resources, and Whitecap Resources, to name just a few. These operators bring their capital and expertise to Freehold Royalties’s fields, earning the royalty play growing cash flow streams.

Is the high-yield dividend reliable?

For income investors, a high yield is only as good as its underlying safety. FRU stock’s 6.1% dividend could do the heavy lifting for your total investment returns (it has done this before), but more importantly, it appears built to survive market volatility.

FRU data by YCharts

Management targets a conservative 60% long-term payout rate so that the payout is fully covered by distributable cash flow. Even better, the dividend may remain supported at oil prices as low as US$50 per barrel West Texas Intermediate (WTI). It will take oil prices to drop below US$50 and to stay there for a while for the monthly dividend to take a hit.

On top of the juicy monthly dividend payout, the royalty stock has a growing oil liquids-weighted portfolio backed by top operators investing aggressively to grow production. These operators use the latest technologies to lower costs, enhance productive efficiency, and extend the lifespan of FRU’s cash-flowing streams.

The U.S. growth engine and an AI catalyst

While its Canadian assets provide a solid cash flow foundation, Freehold’s U.S. portfolio is currently a heated-up growth engine. While the business’s U.S. production was 45% of total production during the first quarter of 2026, U.S. assets generated 51% of quarterly revenue. This outsized revenue generation is because U.S. assets mainly produce premium-priced oil and natural gas liquids.

Particularly exciting is the U.S. Permian Basin, where oil growth has achieved a stellar 220% growth since 2022. This fast-growing basin offers some of the best economic returns to operators and royalty earners alike, featuring low break-even points around US$43 per barrel WTI.

To forward-thinking investors, Freehold Royalties’s growing Permian Basin natural gas liquids output could be a key resource for fueling electricity generation for rapidly sprouting, power-hungry artificial intelligence (AI) data centres in North America.

Buying Freehold Royalties stock in June and holding the high-yield dividend stock long term adds a monthly passive income stream to your TFSA and secures a backdoor, cash-flowing stake in the North American energy grid required to power the AI revolution.

The post A Perfect June TFSA Stock With a 6.1% Monthly Payout appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• Create the Perfect June TFSA With a 6.3% Monthly Payout
• How to Build a Paycheque Portfolio With 2 Stocks That Pay Monthly
• Gas Prices Are Rising Again: 3 Canadian Stocks That Could Benefit
• This 4.5% Dividend Stock Pays Cash Each and Every Month
• 3 Canadian Energy Stocks to Watch as Oil Headlines Heat Up

Fool contributor Brian Paradza has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian Natural Resources and Freehold Royalties. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

Canada’s smart money isn’t just watching the natural gas opportunity from the sidelines, it’s buying aggressively, and nobody is more convincing than the corporate insiders running the show. If you’re looking for a founder-led energy leader where the CEO treats market dips like a personal shopping spree, Tourmaline Oil (TSX:TOU) stock demands your attention.

Tourmaline Oil stock: The insider conviction play

Over the trailing 12 months, eight Tourmaline insiders have poured nearly $23.7 million into open-market purchases of their employer’s stock. In the last three months, insider selling has dropped to absolute zero, while accumulation has continued without flinching.

CEO Mike Rose has been the headline act. Throughout March, April, and May 2026, he repeatedly scooped up blocks of TOU shares, adding more than $3.9 million in stock over the past six months alone. When one of the few people who know the Western Canadian Sedimentary Basin better than everyone else keeps buying TOU stock with his own millions, it’s a signal worth weighing heavily. Independent Director Travis Toews and Vice President of Capital Markets James Heard also chipped in with smaller, but equally telling, purchases over the same stretch.

Yes, insider sales occasionally happen. Scott Kirker, Chief Legal Officer, sold about $10.1 million worth of stock during the past half-year. But insiders sell for all sorts of personal reasons – retirement and estate planning, diversification, a dream cottage – which makes a sell signal far weaker than the thunderclap of coordinated, relentless buying. The direction of the smart money here is unmistakable: accumulation.

Why TOU stock insiders seem so confident

Tourmaline Oil is Canada’s largest natural gas producer and operates the country’s third-largest gas processing midstream assets. It also boasts the highest insider ownership among its peer group, so leadership quite literally eats its own cooking. And that meal is getting tastier.

Production hit a record in the first quarter, with full-year 2026 guidance set at 620,000 to 640,000 barrels of oil equivalent per day (BOE/d). Even more impressive, operating costs per barrel dropped 8% year over year during the first quarter to $4.75, and management expects to hit just $4.50 per BOE for the full year – down another 9%. Lower breakevens mean Tourmaline stock may generate more free cash flow even while natural gas prices remain deeply frustrating.

That cash flow engine is firing on all cylinders, in part because the company is capturing significantly higher prices for its natural gas liquids (NGLs). Thanks to an agreement with the AltaGas Ridley Island Propane Export Terminal, Tourmaline ships propane directly to premium Asian markets, tying a chunk of its NGL revenues to strong JKM and TTF international benchmarks. Management forecasts a 30% year-over-year jump in NGL realizations for 2026, a tailwind few Canadian peers can match.

Meanwhile, the TOU balance sheet is a fortress. Net debt stood at $1.5 billion as of March 31, 2026, well below the company’s long-term target of $1.75 billion. With leverage already better than planned, Tourmaline has the luxury to pile up free cash flow and then decide how to distribute it. Given management’s track record, a special dividend later this year is entirely plausible, along with possible share repurchases.

The regular quarterly dividend already yields a respectable 3%.

What the CEO recently said

During the first quarter earnings call last month, CEO Mike Rose put it bluntly: “Every aspect of our business is getting better. Lower Western North American gas prices are masking that in the short term. It’s gonna be a double win for shareholders when this all turns around, and we think it can happen within a quarter on the local pricing front.”

Is Tourmaline Oil stock a Buy alongside well-informed insiders?

TOU stock trades at a forward adjusted P/E of roughly 14.9, slightly above its five-year average of 12.9. In normal times, that might give a value investor a pause. But new investors are buying a stock with increasingly better fundamentals. New buyers of TOU stock will own a growing, lowest-cost producer with integrated infrastructure, falling costs, surging NGL revenues, a pristine balance sheet, and the boss actively staking millions on the outcome. The premium is more than justified.

With artificial intelligence (AI) driven power demand gathering steam and Canadian gas destined to play a long-term role in global energy supply, Tourmaline Oil is built to dominate for decades. The well-informed insiders are already betting big.

The post Some of the Smartest Canadian Investors Are Piling Into This TSX Stock appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 1 Energy Stock Aiming Quietly Aiming for its Biggest Year Yet
• Oil Volatility Is Back: 3 Canadian Stocks to Buy Now
• How to Use a TFSA to Earn $500 a Month Completely Tax-Free
• A Canadian Energy Stock Poised for Growth in 2026
• 1 TSX Energy Stock I’d Buy Even If Oil Pulls Back

Fool contributor Brian Paradza has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Tourmaline Oil. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

The Canadian real estate sector is serving up some of the most exciting investment opportunities for forward-thinking investors this year. While the broader stock market has seen its fair share of volatility, certain under-the-radar real estate investment trusts (REITs) are quietly positioning themselves for a steady run.

If you are looking to add a powerful mix of monthly passive-income streams and capital appreciation potential, Chartwell Retirement Residences (TSX:CSH.UN) and Automotive Properties REIT (TSX:APR.UN) are two top Canadian real estate stocks that look poised for an incredibly strong 2026.

Chartwell Retirement Residences rides a Canadian demographic wave

Canada is facing a massive, unstoppable demographic shift. The population is aging rapidly. According to CBRE’s recent market outlook, seniors housing stands out as an absolute bright spot within the multi-family real estate sector. If you want to ride this multi-decade tailwind, Chartwell Retirement Residences is aggressively executing to capture market share in this growing market opportunity.

Chartwell is expanding its footprint to meet Canada’s structural surge in demand for seniors housing, operating a robust portfolio of 142 properties comprising 24,775 suites. After deploying a massive $1.1 billion in property acquisitions last year, the trust is accelerating its growth investments in 2026.

So far this year, Chartwell has executed major strategic property acquisition moves, including a $416.2 million deal in April to acquire six communities, alongside another outsized $382.5 million acquisition of a 30% interest in a 23-property senior housing portfolio with properties located across Ontario, British Columbia, and Alberta. Crucially, this latest deal diversifies Chartwell’s geographic footprint away from a previous 50% concentration in Quebec.

Looking ahead, management’s 2026–2028 growth roadmap targets $2 billion in total acquisitions and $1 billion in smart dispositions. This capital recycling strategy aims to push occupancy rates to a stellar 95% or better.

During the first quarter of 2026, property revenue increased 24.4% year over year to $303 million. The trust’s weighted average same property occupancy rate for the first quarter of 2026 increased by 400 basis points year over year to 94.7%. Its funds from operations (FFO) per unit increased 35% year-over-year to $0.27 per unit. Growth is proving accretive to distributable cash flow.

New investors in Chartwell Retirement Residences will receive monthly distributions that yields 3% annually. The distribution is well covered, given the low and sustainable FFO payout rate of 57.9% during the first quarter.

CSH.UN Total Return Price data by YCharts

The REIT has widely outperformed peers with a strong 164% total return over the past three years. In comparison, a passive investment in iShares S&P/TSX Capped REIT Index ETF (TSX:XRE) has generated under 19% total return during the same period.

Automotive Properties REIT: Strong growth, juicy income yields

Investors chasing immediate, heavy-hitting monthly income may look no further than Automotive Properties REIT. This specialized real estate trust focuses on consolidating the highly fragmented U.S. and Canadian automotive dealership real estate market, and the strategy is paying off handsomely. In fact, it has emerged as one of the best-performing Canadian real estate stocks on the market, handing investors an impressive 15.4% total return so far this year.

Automotive Properties added 13 strategic properties to its portfolio last year and has already snapped up four more this year. This aggressive acquisition strategy translated into a stunning 21.7% year-over-year surge in rental revenue during the first quarter, with powerful operational momentum expected to carry right into the second quarter.

But here is the most attractive deal offering for conservative passive-income seekers: Investors who lock in this growth story today can pocket a juicy 6.6% distribution yield. The Canadian REIT boasts a flawless 100% occupancy rate across its portfolio. Better yet, its long-term triple-net leases carry a weighted average lease term of 8.5 years, providing rock-solid earnings visibility well into the next decade.

Income investors can sleep well at night knowing this REIT’s monthly payout is well-covered by underlying cash flows; the REIT’s adjusted funds from operations payout ratio improved beautifully to a highly sustainable 78.6% in the first quarter, down from 81.4% during the same period last year.

Investor takeaway

Successful real estate investing is mostly about picking the right niches this decade. Whether it’s riding the demographic wave with Chartwell Retirement Residences’s senior housing expansion or locking in an ultra-reliable 6.6% yield with Automotive Properties REIT’s growing dealership portfolio, these two fast-growing real estate stocks look ready to beat the market in 2026.

The post The Canadian Real Estate Stocks That Look Poised for a Stronger 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 3 Dividend Stocks to Reach That $109,000 TFSA Milestone
• This 6.7% Dividend Stock Pays Cash Every Single Month
• How to Make Money in a TFSA With Dividend Stocks
• My 2 Favourite Stocks for Monthly Passive Income
• 3 TSX Dividend Stocks That Retirees Might Want on Their Radar

Fool contributor Brian Paradza has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Automotive Properties Real Estate Investment Trust. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

An efficient use of a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) is to convert it into a cash-generating machine. This can help you make the most of tax-free withdrawals while providing an additional source of income. To ensure your cash-generating machine gives you maximum returns, invest in stocks with high dividend growth and high yield. Getting both in one stock is difficult, but you can diversify your investments, giving equal weightage to both.

Ideal TFSA stocks for cash generation

TFSA allows your investments to grow tax-free. It means your dividends and interest are exempt from tax, and so are capital gains tax if you sell shares.

TFSA stock for dividend and growth

Power Corporation of Canada (TSX:POW) is an ideal TFSA investment because of its high dividend-growth rate of 9%. The company has grown its annual dividends between 6% and 10% over the last 12 years. There was only one exception in 2021 when Power Corporation of Canada grew its dividend by 2.7%.

Power Corporation of Canada is a financial holding company that holds IGM Financial and Great West Lifeco and earns income from the dividends they pay. It passes on this dividend to its shareholders. The source of recurring income is insurance premiums and asset management charges. As a holding company, Power Corporation doesn’t have operational risks, but it is exposed to dividend decisions of the operating companies.

Power Corporation has been unlocking shareholder value by restructuring its portfolio, which also includes energy assets and alternative investments. It has recently established a $150 million Sagard AI Fund, which will invest in artificial intelligence companies. Its performance will help boost the share price. Meanwhile, insurance and asset management will drive dividends.

Despite 9% dividend growth, its dividend yield is 3.26% due to 14% share price growth in 2026 year-to-date. Hence, do not dismiss this stock because of the lower yield. It is giving both dividend and capital growth.

TFSA stock for high yield

SmartCentres REIT (TSX:SRU.UN) is a stock to buy in a TFSA for its 6.35% dividend yield. It managed to pay a higher yield because of consistent rental income from Walmart and Walmart-anchored stores. SmartCentres and Walmart’s partnership dates back to 1999, wherein the real estate investment trust agreed to develop shopping centres exclusively around Walmart stores. Now it is developing city centres around Walmart stores, which include office space, residences, and storage facilities.

Optimum use of its land, with every piece generating income from diversified sources, makes it an ideal dividend business to own. Add to this SmartCentres’s 21-year history of paying dividends without any dividend cuts.

A $10,000 investment can generate $481 in annual dividends

The two stocks above can provide you with cash throughout the year through monthly payouts and quarterly bonuses. The high-yield SmartCentres REIT gives monthly payouts. A $5,000 investment can buy 172 units of SmartCentres REIT and give $26.52 cash every month. A $5,000 investment in Power Corporation of Canada can buy 61 shares and give $40.72 cash every quarter.

When you total it up, a $10,000 investment can yield $481 in annual dividends. If Power Corporation of Canada keeps increasing its dividend by 6% on average, your dividend income can grow to $523.8 by 2030.

The post Transform Your TFSA Into a Cash-Generating Machine With $10,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

More reading

• 2 High-Yield Dividend Stocks That Could Be a Safer Pick for Canadian Retirees
• 3 Dividend Stocks Yielding X% Canadians Can Own Even When Growth Falls Out of Favour
• How to Build a Paycheque Portfolio With 2 Stocks That Pay Monthly
• The 6% Dividend Stock That Pays Every. Single. Month
• 2 High-Yield Dividend Stocks That Look Built to Hold for 10 Years or More

Fool contributor Puja Tayal has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust and Walmart. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.