Although the Canadian stock market has seen a strong rally over the last three years, if youâre planning fresh investments for the next cycle, it may be time to focus less on noise and more on business strength. Some companies are growing faster, improving margins, and building visibility well beyond the next quarter or year.
In this article, Iâll highlight three top Canadian stocks for 2026 that you can confidently consider buying if you’re investing $5,000 and looking to build wealth over time.
Aritzia stock
As consumer spending gradually normalizes with easing interest rates, letâs start with Aritzia (TSX:ATZ), a Canadian brand that continues to win customers across borders and channels. This Vancouver-headquartered apparel retailer operates more than 130 boutiques across Canada and the United States, alongside a fast-growing online platform. ATZ stock is currently trading at $116.25 per share and carries a market cap of about $13.4 billion.
Over the last year, its shares have jumped more than 116%, backed by accelerating demand for its products, margin expansion, and strengthening fundamentals. In the second quarter of its fiscal year 2026 (three months ended in August 2025), Aritziaâs revenue surged nearly 32% YoY (year-over-year) to $812 million with the help of double-digit comparable sales gains across all regions. The companyâs revenue in the United States climbed over 40% YoY, showing rising brand awareness.
On the profitability side, its adjusted EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization) also more than doubled in the latest quarter as margins expanded and costs were better controlled.
Moreover, its focus on boutique expansion, digital growth, and deeper penetration in the United States makes Aritzia a solid Canadian stock for 2026.
Enerflex stock
After consumer growth, letâs look at Enerflex (TSX:EFX), an energy infrastructure firm that could add balance to your portfolio through its reliable cash flow and long-term visibility. Beyond energy infrastructure, it also provides compression and engineered systems solutions across global markets. EFX stock now trades at $21.18 per share with a market cap of roughly $2.6 billion, and offers a dividend yield of about 0.8%.
Interestingly, Enerflex stock has gained roughly 114% over the seven months as its earnings momentum and balance sheet strength continue to improve. In the third quarter of 2025, the company delivered record adjusted EBITDA of US$145 million, supported by strong project execution and cost savings. For the quarter, its return on capital employed improved to 16.9% with the help of higher profitability and lower net debt.
For the longer term, Enerflexâs backlog levels of about US$1.1 billion in engineered systems and US$1.4 billion in energy infrastructure provide solid visibility into future revenue, making this one of the best Canadian stocks to buy in 2026 for growth and income.
Aecon stock
To round out the list, letâs look at Aecon Group (TSX:ARE), a Toronto-based infrastructure firm that could give you exposure to multi-year projects tied to long-term spending trends. As a construction and infrastructure development company, it serves public and private sector clients across Canada and the United States. Currently, ARE stock trades near $32.11 per share with a market cap of about $2 billion. At this market price, it also offers a quarterly dividend with an annualized yield close to 2.4%.
Aecon stock has delivered a strong 250% return over the last three years as its execution improved, helping it regain investorsâ confidence. In the September 2025 quarter, the companyâs revenue climbed nearly 20% YoY, driven by higher activity in civil, utility, and transportation infrastructure. While its margins are still in recovery mode, recent sequential improvements in the firmâs earnings point to its stabilizing operations.
With governments continuing to invest in large-scale infrastructure and Aeconâs concessions model adding recurring income, this top Canadian stock offers a steadier growth profile that could help you get strong returns in 2026 and beyond.
The post Top Canadian Stocks to Buy With $5,000 in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.
Should you invest $1,000 in Aecon Group Inc. right now?
Before you buy stock in Aecon Group Inc., consider this:
The Motley Fool Stock Advisor Canada analyst team identified what they believe are the 15 best stocks for investors to buy now⦠and Aecon Group Inc. wasnât one of them. The 15 stocks that made the cut could potentially produce monster returns in the coming years.
Consider MercadoLibre, which we first recommended on January 8, 2014 … if you invested $1,000 in the âeBay of Latin Americaâ at the time of our recommendation, youâd have $21,105.89!*
Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor Canada’s total average return is 95%* – a market-crushing outperformance compared to 72%* for the S&P/TSX Composite Index. Don’t miss out on our top 15 list, available when you join Stock Advisor Canada.
#start_btn6 {
background: #0e6d04 none repeat scroll 0 0;
color: #fff;
font-size: 1.2em;
font-family: ‘Montserrat’, sans-serif;
font-weight: 600;
height: auto;
line-height: 1.2em;
margin: 30px 0;
max-width: 350px;
text-align: center;
width: auto;
box-shadow: 0 1px 0 rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.5),
0 1px 0 #fff inset,
0 0 2px rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.2);
border-radius: 5px;
}
#start_btn6 a {
color: #fff;
display: block;
padding: 20px;
padding-right:1em;
padding-left:1em;
}
#start_btn6 a:hover {
background: #FFE300 none repeat scroll 0 0;
color: #000;
}
@media (max-width: 480px) {
div#start_btn6 {
font-size:1.1em;
max-width: 320px;}
}
margin_bottom_5 { margin-bottom:5px;
}
margin_top_10 { margin-top:10px;
}
* Returns as of November 17th, 2025
More reading
- If I Could Only Buy 3 Stocks in the Last Month of 2025, Iâd Pick These
- 2 Magnificent Canadian Stocks Ready to Surge Into 2026
- Invest for the Future: 2 Potential Big Winners in 2026 and Beyond
- Invest Ahead: 3 Potential Big Winners in 2026 and Beyond
- 2 No-Brainer Energy Stocks to Buy With $1,500 Right Now
Fool contributor Jitendra Parashar has positions in Aritzia. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Aritzia. The Motley Fool recommends Enerflex. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
www.fool.ca (Article Sourced Website)
#Top #Canadian #Stocks #Buy