Skip to main content

Top Canadian Stocks to Buy Right Away With $5,000

Motley Fool - Fri Mar 13, 3:10PM CDT

By Sneha Nahata at The Motley Fool Canada

The broader market is expected to remain volatile amid global trade disputes and rising geopolitical tensions, which continue to weigh on investor sentiment. These pressures can disrupt supply chains, slow economic activity, and create additional uncertainty across financial markets.

Despite these challenges, some Canadian stocks continue to benefit from resilient demand, allowing them to maintain relatively stable performance even during periods of economic turbulence. These fundamentally strong companies are well-positioned to navigate uncertain environments and deliver notable returns.

So, if you have $5,000 to invest, here are the top Canadian stocks to buy right now.

Top Canadian stock #1: CES Energy

CES Energy (TSX: CEU) is one of the top TSX stocks to buy right away. Over the past year, its shares have climbed more than 157%, largely due to strong demand for its specialized chemical solutions. Looking ahead, the momentum is likely to sustain.

Supporting CES Energy’s investment case is its capital-light model, generating strong, consistent free cash flow, enabling it to pursue growth opportunities and reward its shareholders.

Demand for CES’s chemical solutions is expected to grow as upstream oil and gas operators increase service intensity and move toward higher-value chemical technologies. It is also pursuing strategic acquisitions, which should expand its capabilities, improve its financial performance, and support long-term growth.

A large share of CES Energy’s revenue comes from the U.S., and its vertically integrated operations across North America give it greater supply-chain flexibility. This helps the company reduce cross-border risks and manage cost pressures more effectively.

In addition, ongoing geopolitical tensions could lead to increased oil and gas development in North America, further strengthening CES Energy’s growth prospects.

Top Canadian stock #2: Celestica

Celestica (TSX:CLS) is another attractive Canadian stock to buy with $5,000 right now. It specializes in data centre infrastructure and advanced technology solutions and is benefiting from strong demand driven by artificial intelligence (AI).

As enterprises and hyperscale cloud providers continue to invest heavily in AI-related infrastructure, demand for Celestica’s customized hardware platforms and systems will likely remain high. Further, strong demand for the company’s high-performance data centre networking equipment will boost its financials and share price. Looking ahead, strong AI-driven demand and operating leverage will help improve the company’s profitability.

Celestica is likely to witness acceleration in its top-line growth rate in 2026. Beyond that, a robust pipeline of new growth opportunities is expected to support continued expansion into 2027. With AI infrastructure spending rising globally, Celestica appears well-positioned to deliver attractive returns.

Canadian stock #3: MDA Space

MDA Space (TSX: MDA) is a top Canadian stock to capitalize on the growing space economy. The space technology company develops satellite systems, advanced robotics, and geointelligence solutions that support communications networks, defence, Earth-observation programs, and complex space missions.

MDA Space stock has risen significantly so far in 2026. However, the momentum in MDA stock will likely sustain as space becomes an increasingly strategic domain. Growing geopolitical tensions are driving strong demand for defence systems, aerospace technology, and satellite infrastructure.

MDA Space offers solid visibility for future growth. With a $4 billion order backlog and a significant growth pipeline, the company could continue to deliver strong financials, which will drive its share price higher.

The post Top Canadian Stocks to Buy Right Away With $5,000 appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada.

Should you invest $1,000 in Mda right now?

Before you buy stock in Mda, consider this:

The Motley Fool Canadateam has identified what they believe are the top 10 TSX stocks for 2026… and Mda wasn’t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could potentially produce monster returns in the coming years.

Consider MercadoLibre, which we first recommended on January 8, 2014 … if you invested $1,000 in the “eBay of Latin America” at the time of our recommendation, you’d have $20,155.76!*

Now, it’s worth noting Stock Advisor Canada’s total average return is 90%* – a market-crushing outperformance compared to 81%* for the S&P/TSX Composite Index. Don’t miss out on our top 10 stocks, available when you join our mailing list!

* Returns as of February 17th, 2026

More reading

Fool contributor Sneha Nahata has no position in any of the stocks mentioned. The Motley Fool recommends Celestica, CES Energy Solutions, and MDA Space. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.

2026

This article contains syndicated content. We have not reviewed, approved, or endorsed the content, and may receive compensation for placement of the content on this site. For more information please view the Barchart Disclosure Policy here.
This section contains press releases and other materials from third parties (including paid content). The Globe and Mail has not reviewed this content. Please see disclaimer.