Want $1 Million in Retirement? Invest $50,000 in These 3 Stocks and Wait a Decade

For Canadian investors looking to ramp up their exposure to growth stocks and other investments that can turn their $50,000 investment into a seven-figure portfolio in a decade’s time, there’s plenty that needs to go into the calculations here.

First off, it’s important to recognize that 20-fold returns over such a time frame are unlikely. Given the fact that stocks generally increase at a low-double-digit rate over the long term, that means that a portfolio can be expected to double or triple over this time frame, if it’s truly diversified.

Thus, one’s capital inflows into a portfolio over this decade, as well as how high-growth one’s picks are in a retirement account, can dictate future results.

Here are three of my top picks for investors in this regard.

Shopify

It should be no surprise to any readers that Shopify (TSX:SHOP) kicks off my list.

Indeed, Shopify has quietly matured from a “story stock” into a free-cash-flow machine. Shopify has continued to grow at a pace most large caps can only dream about.

In 2025, the commerce platform delivered about US$11.6 billion in revenue and roughly US$2 billion in free cash flow. Such impressive earnings provide investors with a powerful combination of scale and self-funded growth. Management has enough confidence in the balance sheet and cash generation to launch a US$2 billion share-repurchase program, a clear signal that they see the current valuation as attractive over a multi-year horizon.

Over the long term, I see Shopify as a leading e-commerce stock that investors will kick themselves for not owning here. This dip is one worth buying, in my view.

Celestica

Another top growth stock I’ve continued to pound the table on of late is Celestica (TSX:CLS).

Shares of CLS stock have remained robust, despite a broad-based selloff in many tech names in recent weeks, following the geopolitical turmoil we’ve seen play out in the Middle East.

That said, I think the reality that Celestica has transformed itself into a prime picks-and-shovels play on AI and cloud data centres is worth considering. Indeed, the company’s numbers are starting to show it.

In 2025, Celestica posted revenue of US$12.4 billion, up 28% year over year. That’s not even the best story. Perhaps more importantly, the company’s adjusted earnings per share (EPS) surged 56%, a rare blend of top-line acceleration and margin expansion for a hardware-oriented business. With Celestica’s management team raising its guidance (and the market seemingly not following along), this is another name I think could be due for a big 2026 and a big decade ahead.

Kinaxis

Last, but certainly not least, we have beaten-down software giant Kinaxis (TSX:KXS) to discuss.

Now, Kinaxis may not grab headlines like other mega-cap stocks right now. However, this supply chain software specialist is quietly building a powerful, recurring-revenue growth engine.

The company recently saw annual recurring revenue growth accelerate to about 17% year over year, while earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization margins rebounded to roughly 25%, underscoring the operating leverage in its model as scale builds. Trade uncertainty has become a tailwind, not a headwind. That’s driven pipeline growth as large enterprises look to de-risk and digitize their planning workflows.

For those looking to bet on a large-cap Canadian software play now trading at a relative discount, Kinaxis is a great pick in my view. I’d be a buyer even heading into this recent stock price spike, given how detached this stock has become from its fundamentals (in my opinion).

The post Want $1 Million in Retirement? Invest $50,000 in These 3 Stocks and Wait a Decade appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

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More reading

• 2 Growth Stocks Ready to Skyrocket in 2026 and After
• A Leading Tech Stock to Buy in 2026
• 2 Growth Stocks I Expect to Surge Well Into This Year and Beyond
• The 2 Best TSX Stocks to Buy Before a Recovery Takes Hold
• 3 Canadian Growth Stocks for Your TFSA in 2026

Fool contributor Chris MacDonald has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has positions in and recommends Shopify. The Motley Fool recommends Celestica and Kinaxis. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.