Why Being “Not America” Is Actually an Advantage for Canadian Stocks Right Now

Over the last year, a quiet “not America” investing approach has crept back into investor thinking. U.S. markets kept grabbing headlines, but also felt crowded, expensive, and dominated by a handful of mega-cap names. Meanwhile, investors started paying more attention to places that look less stretched and more diversified by sector. Canada sits in a sweet spot in that conversation because it offers real-economy exposure, a stronger dividend culture, and a market that does not hinge on a single theme staying hot forever.

Anything but

Being “not America” helps Canadian stocks right now since the TSX does not live or die by the same narrow leadership. U.S. indexes can feel like a referendum on a small group of tech giants. Canada spreads its weight across banks, energy infrastructure, utilities, industrials, and materials. That mix can dampen the damage when one crowded trade unwinds, and the Canadian portfolio can still participate if global growth holds up.

It also helps that Canada tends to look more reasonably priced when U.S. valuations get lofty. You don’t need Canada to outperform every year for this to matter. You just need a starting point that does not demand perfection. When you buy a market with more cash-flow businesses and fewer hype multiples, your return path can rely more on earnings, dividends, and buybacks, and less on the market handing you a richer valuation.

There is also a practical geopolitical edge to being “not America.” Canada can benefit from supply chain shifts, resource security, and a global push for critical minerals without sitting at the centre of every trade fight. It still feels the splash when the U.S. changes policy, but it is not always the target. In an environment where companies and governments want stable suppliers, Canada’s reputation as a reliable producer of commodities, power, and infrastructure can matter more than it did a few years ago. So, how can investors get in on the action?

TECK

Teck Resources (TSX:TECK.B) shows how this “not America” advantage can translate into a real investment case. The Canadian stock is a major Canadian miner with a growing copper focus, plus zinc and other by-products. The last year of news around Teck has largely revolved around operational execution and copper leverage. Copper prices strengthened, and Teck’s results quickly reflected that.

It also gave investors a clearer roadmap heading into 2026. Teck reaffirmed a wide but meaningful copper production outlook for 2026 of 455,000 to 530,000 tonnes. Teck also published unit cost guidance that investors should watch closely, with copper net cash unit costs guided at about US$1.85 to US$2.20 per pound. Furthermore, in the fourth quarter of 2025, Teck reported adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $1.5 billion, which rose by $678 million from the prior-year quarter. Adjusted profit from continuing operations attributable to shareholders came in at $671 million, or $1.37 per share.

If you want a mid-cycle check-in, the second quarter of 2025 showed the business can still earn through less exciting pricing. Teck reported adjusted EBITDA of $722 million in Q2 2025, slightly higher than the same quarter a year earlier, and profit from continuing operations before taxes of $125 million. The Canadian stock highlighted improved profitability at its Trail Operations as support, even as copper and zinc prices ran lower than the year before.

Bottom line

Being “not America” is not about anti-U.S. thinking, but about balance. Canada offers a different mix, often a different valuation starting point, and real exposure to the materials and infrastructure the world still needs. Teck captures that idea in one Canadian stock. It gives you copper torque, a clearer 2026 production roadmap, and earnings power that can expand fast when the cycle cooperates. If you want a practical way to diversify away from crowded U.S. positioning without wandering into the unknown, this is the kind of Canadian name that can make the “not America” case feel very real.

The post Why Being “Not America” Is Actually an Advantage for Canadian Stocks 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 no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.