Tariff Headlines Are Back: 2 TSX Stocks Built for the Noise

By Amy Legate-Wolfe at The Motley Fool Canada

Tariff headlines have been back in full force, and the TSX has felt it. U.S. tariff moves tied to steel, autos, lumber, and copper have added pressure to jobs, business confidence, and rate expectations in Canada, while broader trade and geopolitical shocks have kept the index swinging between inflation fears and defensive buying.

That’s made investors a lot pickier. Lately, sectors tied to commodities and big economic bets have taken more heat, while steadier businesses with local demand or essential goods have looked a lot more attractive. So let’s look at a few to buy through the noise.

BYD

Boyd Group Services (TSX:BYD) runs collision repair and auto glass shops across North America under brands such as Boyd Autobody & Glass, Gerber Collision & Glass, and Glass America. When tariffs start rattling the auto sector, investors usually think about manufacturing pain first. Boyd sits in a different lane. Cars still get dented, windshields still crack, and insurers still need those repairs done. That makes the business far less tied to consumer moods than many other discretionary names.

Over the last year, the big story has been scale. Boyd agreed to buy Joe Hudson’s Collision Center for US$1.3 billion in late 2025, then closed the deal in January 2026, adding 258 locations and lifting its footprint to 1,301 sites. That gives it more density in the U.S. Southeast and more room to squeeze out efficiencies. The market didn’t love everything in its latest report, and the stock dropped sharply after earnings, but that kind of reaction can create opportunity when the long-term story is still intact.

The latest numbers were still solid underneath the drama. Full-year 2025 sales rose 2.4% to $3.1 billion, while adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) climbed 12.4% to $376.3 million. Fourth-quarter revenue came in at $793.9 million and adjusted EBITDA jumped 24.2% to $103.6 million. On valuation, Boyd is not cheap on a trailing price-to-earnings (P/E) basis at roughly 190, but that figure looks distorted by low trailing earnings per share (EPS). Its price-to-sales ratio of about 0.98 and EV/EBITDA of about 16 paint a more useful picture for a consolidator. The risk is simple: integration has to go well, and higher repair costs or tariff-related auto parts inflation could pinch margins. Still, for a business with recurring demand and a bigger network, it looks built to handle the noise.

NWC

North West Company (TSX:NWC) sells food, everyday goods, and services to rural and remote communities in northern Canada, Alaska, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. In a market spooked by tariff headlines, that kind of business can look refreshingly boring. People don’t stop buying groceries and household basics because a trade fight is heating up.

Its recent year has been mixed but still sturdy. The company posted strong annual 2024 results, with sales of $2.58 billion, up from $2.47 billion in 2023. In 2025, it also lifted its quarterly dividend to $0.41 from $0.40. More recently, third-quarter 2025 sales slipped 0.5% to $634.3 million, and same-store sales fell 1.7%, largely because Canadian sales were hit by lower funding tied to Inuit Child First and Jordan’s Principle programs.

Even with that softer top line, earnings held up well. Third-quarter 2025 net earnings rose 12.9% to $41.1 million, and net earnings attributable to shareholders reached $40.1 million, or $0.82 per diluted share. Management has also been pushing its “Next 100” strategy, which aims to drive more earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) improvement through 2025 and 2026. On valuation, North West looks much more reasonable than Boyd, with a market cap around $2.6 billion, a trailing P/E near 18, and a forward P/E near 13.6. The trade-off is slower growth. If funding changes, or food inflation or freight costs go the wrong way, the stock may not race ahead.

Bottom line

Tariffs tend to reward calm thinking, and these two offer strong options. Neither stock is perfect, and both carry risks, but each brings something useful when markets start flinching at every new trade headline. That is why these two TSX names look built for the noise.

The post Tariff Headlines Are Back: 2 TSX Stocks Built for the Noise 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 recommends North West. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

2026