By Amy Legate-Wolfe at The Motley Fool Canada
Surprises rarely come from the stocks everyone already loves. That’s why 2026 could get interesting for Canadian investors. The TSX already pushed higher, but many portfolios still lean on the usual banks, pipelines, and telecoms. Those names can work, yet smaller industrial companies can sometimes deliver the bigger shock when earnings improve, demand turns, or acquisitions start showing up in the numbers.
Magellan Aerospace (TSX:MAG) and TerraVest Industries (TSX:TVK) fit that idea. Neither one screams household name, yet both operate in practical, asset-heavy industries, and sit in areas where spending could stay resilient even if the economy feels uneven.
MAG
Defence and aerospace spending keep drawing attention. Airlines still need parts and maintenance, governments keep talking about defence readiness, and Canada also faces pressure to upgrade military capacity. This demand could help suppliers tied to aerospace, defence, and specialty manufacturing.
Magellan stock makes aircraft components, engine parts, defence products, and specialty systems. It operates across Canada, the United States, Europe, and India. That gives it a wider base than many investors may assume from a mid-cap TSX name.
The latest quarter helped explain the renewed interest. In the first quarter of 2026, revenue rose 9.3% year over year to $285.1 million. Net income climbed 52.2% to $16.5 million. That’s a clean improvement, especially for a company where margins can move around with production costs, currency, and program timing.
The catalyst from here comes from defence contracts and commercial aerospace demand. Magellan stock also signed a teaming agreement with Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems in February to support heavyweight torpedo production and in-service support for Canada’s patrol submarine project. That doesn’t guarantee a windfall, but it shows Magellan stock’s defence exposure reaches beyond generic aerospace optimism.
The risk comes from execution. Aerospace manufacturing can run into delays, cost pressure, and customer concentration. The stock also rallied sharply over the last year, up 90% as of writing, so investors shouldn’t treat it like a forgotten bargain. Still, if 2026 brings more defence spending and stronger aircraft demand, Magellan stock could keep surprising people who ignored it.
TVK
TerraVest Industries brings a different kind of surprise. It doesn’t need a flashy story. It builds and buys industrial businesses, then tries to grow cash flow over time. The company operates across areas such as energy infrastructure, storage, transport, and specialized equipment. That makes it a sneaky way to play real-world demand, from propane tanks to industrial services.
Why now? TerraVest keeps proving that acquisitions can change the scale of the business. In its second quarter of fiscal 2026, sales climbed 42% to $442.6 million. Adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) rose 15% to $75.5 million. Those numbers show real growth, even though net income fell because of higher depreciation, amortization, financing costs, and acquisition-related factors.
That’s the key tension with TerraVest. The business keeps expanding, but investors need to watch how much it pays to grow. Acquisitions can create value, but can also add debt, integration risk, and pressure if interest rates stay higher than expected.
Still, TerraVest has built a strong reputation for finding useful businesses in overlooked corners of the market. Investors don’t need every company to be tied to artificial intelligence (AI) or a dramatic commodity cycle. Sometimes the surprise comes from steady industrial demand, strong capital allocation, and simple businesses compounding under the surface. Furthermore, TerraVest no longer looks tiny or undiscovered, with shares up 36% since 52-week lows. The stock’s strong run means expectations have climbed. A weaker quarter, slower acquisition pace, or margin pressure could hit sentiment fast.
Bottom line
Both stocks offer something the broader market may underappreciate. Magellan stock offers aerospace and defence upside with improving earnings. TerraVest offers an acquisition-driven industrial growth story with rising scale. For investors looking beyond the usual Canadian names, these two could make 2026 far more interesting than expected. For patient investors, that mix could offer surprise potential without needing to chase the loudest story on the TSX today.
The post 2 Top Stocks That Could Surprise Investors in 2026 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 TerraVest Industries. The Motley Fool has a disclosure policy.
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