This 3.6% Dividend Stock Could Be a TFSA Workhorse in 2026

A solid high-yield dividend stock needs three things that can survive a bad year without drama: cash flow that comes in with real consistency, a balance sheet that does not force “emergency” financing, and a payout level that management can defend even when production, pricing, or interest rates move the wrong way. The yield number alone never tells the full story. A true workhorse pays because the business can, not because investors demand it.

NPI

Northland Power (TSX:NPI) is a Canadian renewable power producer with a portfolio that spans offshore wind in Europe, onshore renewables, natural gas facilities, and a growing energy storage footprint. Over the last year, the dividend stock’s narrative has revolved around two big build-outs: Hai Long offshore wind in Taiwan and Baltic Power offshore wind in Poland. Investors watched every construction update as timing drives cash flow, and cash flow drives the dividend story.

The biggest headline was not a turbine, but the dividend reset. In November 2025, the board approved an adjustment to the common share dividend to $0.72 per share annually, effective with the Jan. 15, 2026 payment. That move signalled a shift from “stretch for growth” to “build flexibility,” with management framing it as a way to self-fund value-accretive opportunities while protecting an investment-grade balance sheet.

Project updates remained mixed, which explains why the market still debates them. In its Q3 2025 release, it said Hai Long remained on track for full commercial operations in 2027, but it flagged slower-than-anticipated turbine commissioning that could reduce pre-completion revenues by about $150 million to $200 million in 2026. Baltic Power, meanwhile, stayed on track for full commercial operations in the second half of 2026, with costs aligned with original expectations.

Into earnings

On earnings, the recent quarters show why “headline net income” can mislead with this kind of business. In Q3 2025, revenue from energy sales rose to $554 million from $491 million a year earlier, and adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) improved to $257 million from $228 million. Free cash flow per share increased to $0.17 from $0.08. Yet it still reported a large net loss for the quarter, tied to items that can swing in capital-intensive power portfolios.

Valuation and yield now sit at the heart of the 2026 case, because sentiment already did a lot of the work. With the dividend reset to $0.72 annually and the dividend stock trading at 94 times earnings, with a 3.6% yield, this becomes a “buy it at the right price” story, not a “set it and forget it at any price” story. If the dividend stock dips during another bout of rate fear, the yield can look meaningfully better for new buyers, and the upside from restored confidence can matter as much as the income. Today, here’s what the dividend could bring in from a $7,000 investment.

COMPANYRECENT PRICENUMBER OF SHARESANNUAL DIVIDENDANNUAL TOTAL PAYOUTFREQUENCYTOTAL INVESTMENTNPI$20.09348$0.72$250.56Monthly$6,991.32

Bottom line

Northland Power can be a Tax-Free Savings Account (TFSA) workhorse in 2026 if you treat it like a cash-flow rebuild story with a side of patience, not a magic dividend coupon. The dividend stock has real assets, real demand for clean power, and major projects that can change the earnings profile as it comes online. But it also has real execution risk, especially around commissioning and timing, and that risk can show up quickly in both the share price and investor confidence. If you want the income, focus on sustainability, not nostalgia, and let the price you pay do some of the heavy lifting.

The post This 3.6% Dividend Stock Could Be a TFSA Workhorse in 2026 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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More reading

• Building a “Paycheck Portfolio”: 2 Stocks That Pay Every 30 Days or So
• These Are the Top 5 Undervalued Stocks to Buy Right Now
• What’s Going On With NPI’s Dividend?
• The Canadian Energy Stock I’m Buying Now: It’s a Steal
• A Dividend Stock Down Big: Here’s Why I’m Watching it

Fool contributor Amy Legate-Wolfe 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.