These Are the Best Canadian Stocks for Value in the World Right Now

A Canadian stock can be “best in the world for value” when you get global-quality businesses at a price that assumes very little goes right. I look for durable cash flow, sensible balance sheets, and a clear path to keep paying dividends without starving the business. Value is not about cheapness alone. It’s about paying a fair price for resilience.

MFC

Manulife Financial (TSX:MFC) can look like classic Canadian value as it mixes insurance, wealth management, and a big Asia growth engine under one roof. It earns money from premiums, fees, and investment returns, and it has scale that smaller insurers can’t easily match. The dividend stock has had a strong run, with a one-year return around 15%, which suggests the market already recognizes some improvement.

Earnings still make the value case feel real, not just a story. In Q3 2025, Manulife reported core earnings of $2 billion and net income attributed to shareholders of $1.8 billion, with core earnings per share (EPS) of $1.16 and EPS of $1.02. On valuation, the dividend stock trades at about 16 times earnings, plus a trailing annual dividend yield around 3.4%. If rates keep easing and credit losses stay contained, earnings can hold up better than the market fears. The risk sits in surprises, like higher claims, market volatility, or a softer economy that hits credit and fee income.

SRU

SmartCentres REIT (TSX:SRU.UN) looks like value as it owns everyday retail real estate that Canadians still use constantly. It runs a portfolio anchored by major grocers and big-box tenants, and it also has development upside through mixed-use projects. The units have been steadier than people expect for a retail real estate investment trust (REIT), with SRU up about 12% in the last year alone, trading at 18 times earnings.

The income math is the main draw, but you need to watch coverage. SmartCentres declared a monthly distribution of $0.15417 per unit, which annualizes to $1.85, and a trailing yield around 6.9%. In Q3 2025, it reported funds from operations (FFO) per unit of $0.59 versus $0.71 a year earlier, while FFO with adjustments per unit rose to $0.56 from $0.53. The payout ratio to adjusted FFO was 95.1% in the quarter, which is workable but not roomy. The risk is simple. Rates and refinancing costs can squeeze REIT cash flow, and a payout ratio near the edge means less margin for error.

BN

Brookfield (TSX:BN) can look like value because the market often struggles to price a dividend stock that owns a lot of different cash-generating assets. It acts like a long-term owner of businesses and investments, and it benefits when capital flows into the Brookfield ecosystem. The dividend stock has delivered a one-year return around 13%, which is solid even if it has lagged the broader TSX lately.

The latest earnings snapshot supports the “quiet compounder” thesis. Brookfield reported total distributable earnings of $1.5 billion, or $0.63 per share, in Q3 2025, with distributable earnings before realizations of $1.3 billion, or $0.56 per share. The valuation looks more attractive on forward numbers than on trailing GAAP metrics, trading at 132 times earnings. The dividend stays small, roughly around a half-percent yield on TSX screens, as Brookfield prefers buybacks and reinvestment. If markets stay constructive and Brookfield keeps recycling capital at good prices, it can keep compounding. The risk comes from complexity and market shocks. When credit tightens or valuations fall, sentiment can swing hard.

Bottom line

Put together, these three dividend stocks can look like some of the best Canadian value ideas right now as each one offers a different kind of cheap. Even so, here’s what investors could earn from $7,000 in each dividend stock.

COMPANYRECENT PRICENUMBER OF SHARESANNUAL DIVIDENDANNUAL TOTAL PAYOUTFREQUENCYTOTAL INVESTMENTBN$64.84107$0.33$35.31Quarterly$6,937.88MFC$50.81137$1.76$241.12Quarterly$6,950.97SRU.UN$27.20257$1.85$475.45Monthly$6,990.40

The bottom line is clear. It can look almost risky to get in on a dividend stock when it’s not blasting off. However, it can also mean that investors are getting in on clear, growing stability that looks valuable no matter when you buy.

The post These Are the Best Canadian Stocks for Value in the World Right Now appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Brookfield. The Motley Fool recommends Brookfield Corporation and SmartCentres Real Estate Investment Trust. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.