Newbie Canadian buyers are clever to begin out with a well-diversified portfolio of shares. A portfolio of about 10–20 shares offers the correct mix of shares to hedge your bets.
Nonetheless, not all people beginning out has sufficient capital to purchase that many shares. You probably have a couple of thousand {dollars} and are simply on the lookout for a spot to begin, listed here are six Canadian shares to purchase and maintain by way of 2026.
Strong Canadian dividend shares
Granite Actual Property Funding Belief (TSX:GRT.UN) is a defensive anchor inventory to carry in your portfolio.
With a market cap of $5.5 billion, it’s Canada’s largest industrial REIT. Its portfolio is diversified throughout Canada, the U.S., and Europe. After robust leasing exercise in 2025, it sits with 98% occupancy and a mixture of high-end tenants.
Granite yields 4% proper now. It has a 15-year historical past of yearly rising its dividend.
AltaGas (TSX:ALA) is one other defensive Canadian inventory. With a protected and stable utility within the U.S. and rising midstream enterprise in Canada, buyers get a mixture of progress and security.
The utility has above common price case progress from a powerful capital plan. The midstream enterprise ought to profit long-term from rising demand for propane and different pure gasoline merchandise in Asia. This Canadian inventory yields 3.3% and has been rising its dividend by a 5–7% price.
For some earnings, however a little bit greater progress, Change Earnings Corp. (TSX:EIF) is a pleasant portfolio addition. It operates a diversified portfolio of companies that features northern-focused air providers, aerospace defence {hardware}/software program, environmental entry options, manufacturing, and window set up.
This Canadian inventory has main tailwinds from rising defence spending globally and an rising authorities give attention to Canada’s north. Change had a stellar 12 months in 2025 and expects mid-teens progress in 2026. It has a 3% dividend and a report of recurrently elevating it.
Shares for progress and compounding
If you’d like a little bit of tech publicity, Descartes Programs Group (TSX:DSG) is a superb Canadian progress inventory. It operates the essential International Logistics Community and an array of provide chain software program providers.
This has all of the marks of a high-quality enterprise: a cash-rich stability sheet, excessive recurring revenues, excessive margins, a aggressive edge, and an intention to develop 10–15% every year.
Whereas it isn’t low cost, this Canadian tech inventory is right down to its lowest valuation in years. This can be a good time so as to add this high quality enterprise to any portfolio.
Colliers Worldwide (TSX:CIGI) is a diversified firm with an extended historical past of delivering robust mid-teens returns. Whereas it’s finest identified for its world industrial actual property brokerage, it has rising funding administration and engineering companies.
These are main progress engines. They each have giant markets that Colliers can consolidate. Additionally they have engaging natural progress prospects. Colliers has a founder-led CEO and excessive insider possession, each hallmarks of a high-quality, long-term inventory value holding.
Each investor ought to have some publicity to small-cap shares. With a market cap of $356 million, Firan Applied sciences (TSX:FTG) actually matches the invoice.
It offers specialised circuit boards and cockpit parts for the aerospace business. It’s hardly a flashy enterprise. Nonetheless, its prospects have practically a decade of backlog. Shrewd acquisitions have expanded its product assortment and geographic publicity.
This Canadian inventory has an excellent stability sheet and a CEO with excessive insider possession. It’s a horny inventory that might get pleasure from stable progress within the years forward.
