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Source: Getty Images <\/p>\n Source: Getty Images <\/p>\n
Written by Brian Paradza, CFA<\/a> at The Motley Fool Canada<\/p>\n Canada\u2019s nation-building push has fast morphed from a political talking point to a massive industrial mobilization in 2026. It\u2019s designed to insulate the country from trade impasses and global supply chain shocks while addressing the domestic housing crisis and insatiable power demands of an artificial intelligence<\/a> (AI) boom. A multi-year infrastructure spend like this one represents a generational opportunity for Canadian investors to own stakes in growth stocks<\/a> of companies physically building the foundations of a more economically resilient Canada.<\/p>\n The catalyst for Canada\u2019s sudden urgency was a combination of disruptive tariffs and a realization that reliance on a single major trading partner for prosperity is a strategic vulnerability. The federal government has committed to massive expenditures to sustain economic growth and promote a structural transformation. Total federal spending may reach approximately $159 billion between 2025 and 2030.<\/p>\n Furthermore, the government expects its public seed money to attract more than $1 trillion in total private-sector investment, creating a multiplier effect that could define the TSX\u2019s <\/a>growth mood for years to come.<\/p>\n Two engineering and construction industry stocks stand at the forefront of Canada\u2019s nation-building push, and they have already surged by 50% year to date. Bird Construction (TSX:BDT<\/a>) stock and Aecon Group (TSX:ARE<\/a>) stock are rising after spending the last year cleaning up their balance sheets and winning massive, high-margin contracts that are just now beginning to hit their income statements in 2026.<\/p>\n Bird Construction stock is perhaps the most compelling \u201cpure play\u201d on this nation-building trend. The construction company entered 2026 with a staggering $11 billion backlog of future higher margin revenue, representing more than three years of guaranteed work already on the books.<\/p>\n BDT has strategically positioned itself to benefit from the AI boom by securing contracts for data centre construction, which requires specialized industrial expertise.<\/p>\n The beauty of BDT stock\u2019s revenue and earnings growth story right now lies in the company\u2019s execution of revenue and earnings growth. Through a combination of organic wins and smart acquisitions, the company has built a fortress balance sheet that allows it to take on these massive projects without the financial strain that often plagues smaller builders.<\/p>\n Story Continues <\/p>\n Aecon Group is equally vital to nation building, but focuses on the heavy-lifting side of infrastructure. It\u2019s a critical partner in the clean energy transition, particularly in the nuclear sector. It\u2019s successful completion of Ontario\u2019s Darlington Nuclear Refurbishment project, which finished under budget and four months ahead of schedule, has cemented its reputation as a premier operator for complex power projects. Its revenue backlog has surged from $6.7 billion at the end of 2024 to $10.7 billion heading into 2026.<\/p>\n While Aecon Group stock previously struggled with high-risk, fixed-price legacy projects, it has since transitioned to more favourable contract structures that protect its gross margins from inflationary pressure. Earnings per share could grow at triple digits rates over the next year or two.<\/p>\n Both infrastructure stocks have substantially taken off this year. New investors may wish to look past simple price movements and utilize a valuation methodology based on the Price-Earnings-to-Growth (PEG) ratio.<\/p>\n Bird Construction stock still trades at a reasonable forward price-to-earnings ratio of 12.9. With growing earnings, BDT\u2019s forward PEG ratio of roughly 0.6 suggests the stock remains undervalued relative to its earnings growth potential.<\/p>\n Aecon Group stock also looks attractive from a growth perspective, sporting a forward PEG<\/a> ratio between 0.2 and 0.6, even with a higher forward P\/E of 23.7.<\/p>\n If you have to choose just one favourite buy right now, Bird Construction stock may take the prize. Its lower valuation, record-breaking backlog levels, and specific exposure to both the housing and blazing-hot data centre markets, among other infrastructure projects, make it a quintessential nation-building stock. As new contracts morph into revenue throughout 2026, BDT stock may deliver strong earnings growth that creates long-term wealth for patient retail investors. This is an investment opportunity where national necessity and corporate profitability are perfectly aligned.<\/p>\n The post These Stocks Will Power Canada\u2019s Nation-Building Push in 2026<\/a> appeared first on The Motley Fool Canada<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before you buy stock in Aecon Group Inc., consider this:<\/p>\n The Motley Fool Canada team has identified what they believe are the top 10 TSX stocks for 2026\u2026 and Aecon Group Inc. wasn\u2019t one of them. The 10 stocks that made the cut could potentially produce monster returns in the coming years.<\/p>\n Consider MercadoLibre, which we first recommended on January 8, 2014 \u2026 if you invested $1,000 in the \u201ceBay of Latin America\u201d at the time of our recommendation, you\u2019d have over $18,000!*<\/p>\n Now, it\u2019s worth noting Stock Advisor Canada\u2019s total average return is 94%* \u2013 a market-crushing outperformance compared to 85%* for the S&P\/TSX Composite Index. Don\u2019t miss out on our top 10 stocks, available when you join our mailing list!<\/p>\n Get the 10 stocks instantly<\/a><\/p>\n * Returns as of April 20th, 2026<\/p>\n More reading<\/p>\n Fool contributor Brian Paradza<\/a> 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<\/a>.<\/p>\n 2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Source: Getty Images Written by Brian Paradza, CFA at The Motley Fool Canada Canada\u2019s nation-building push has fast…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15486,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[8143,8144,17,2298,2292,8145,1492,6930],"class_list":{"0":"post-15485","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-canada","8":"tag-aecon-group","9":"tag-bird-construction","10":"tag-canada","11":"tag-earnings-growth","12":"tag-fool-canada","13":"tag-growth-stocks","14":"tag-infrastructure","15":"tag-nation-building"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15485","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15485"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15485\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15486"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15485"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15485"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/canada\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15485"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}