If You’re Nervous About 2026, Buy These 3 Canadian Stocks and Relax

When investors feel nervous about a new year, it’s rarely because they think markets will collapse tomorrow. It’s because they’re tired of surprises. A relaxing stock is one where the business is easy to picture, demand is real, and the numbers make sense. That’s why a simple Canadian trio can work. Today, we’ll consider a rail network that moves the continent, an industrial dealer tied to job sites, and an engineering firm riding multi-year infrastructure needs.

CP

Canadian Pacific Kansas City (TSX:CP) is the closest thing Canada has to an economic toll road. In its third quarter of 2025, the Canadian stock reported revenue of about US$3.54 billion and an operating ratio of 64.1%. Meanwhile adjusted diluted earnings per share (EPS) came in at US$0.94. It also reiterated key parts of its full-year outlook. For a new investor, those are the right signals. Management is focused on efficiency, and the profit engine is tied to service and cost discipline.

CP is not an income play, and that can be calming. Recent market data has the shares around $104, with a 52-week range roughly $86 to $112, and a price-to-earnings (P/E) around 22. The dividend is small at about $0.19 per quarter, which works out to a yield of 0.89% at writing. That means you’re relying on compounding and execution, not a big payout. The risk to remember is economic sensitivity. A sharp slowdown can hurt volumes, even if a well-run rail often holds up better than most. Yet over time, this is the kind of steady stock that helps you sleep at night.

TIH

Toromont Industries (TSX:TIH) relaxes investors for a different reason. It sells, services, and rents equipment that customers can delay, but rarely avoid forever. In the third quarter of 2025, Toromont reported revenue of $1.315 billion, operating income of $189.5 million, and net earnings of $140.6 million, or $1.73 per share. It also reported bookings growth and a backlog of about $1.3 billion, which gives you a practical visibility check for what’s likely to ship next.

On the market side, TIH has been strong, with a one-year gain close to 50%. It trades at a 28 times earnings, and the dividend yield is modest, about 1.2%. That’s a classic sleep well profile. A Canadian stock that reinvests, stays profitable through cycles, and still pays something for patience. The main risk is that equipment demand can cool if construction or resource spending slows, but Toromont’s parts and service work can cushion downturns better than a pure one-time sales model.

WSP

WSP Global (TSX:WSP) can also be a calming hold, even if the share price doesn’t always move quietly, as the underlying work is tied to long-dated projects. In late 2025, WSP highlighted strong quarterly performance and then agreed to buy U.S.-based TRC Companies in a deal valued at about US$1.455 billion plus a potential earn out. For new investors, the takeaway is simple. WSP keeps using acquisitions to deepen capabilities and broaden client demand across the U.S. market.

Valuation-wise, WSP often looks pricey on a simple P/E because the market is pricing in growth and project visibility. Recent data puts the shares near $250, with a P/E around 37, and a small dividend yield at 1.5%. So, the relax here comes from the durability of demand and execution, not from income. The risk is integration. Big deals need to land cleanly, and a recession can delay project starts. Still, infrastructure and environmental work tend to stretch beyond one economic quarter.

Bottom line

Put together, CP, TIH, and WSP offer a beginner-friendly way to own three different engines of the real economy. That’s moving goods, building and maintaining the physical world, and designing the projects that keep it all expanding. None of them is a high-yield crutch, which lowers the odds you’re buying a dividend that later disappoints. The trade-off is that you’ll need patience through cycles, but if your goal is to feel steadier in 2026, this mix is the kind you can understand, track, and stick with for years, not just months.

The post If You’re Nervous About 2026, Buy These 3 Canadian Stocks and Relax appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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More reading

• Top TFSA Stocks for Canadian Investors to Buy Now
• The Millionaires’ Portfolios: Here’s What the Pros Are Buying Right Now
• Buy These Infrastructure Stocks Before Canada Starts Building Its $1 Trillion in Projects
• 2 TSX Giants to Buy and Hold for the Next 20 Years
• Get Ready for the $7,000 TFSA Contribution Room in 2026

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Canadian Pacific Kansas City and WSP Global. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.