Blue chip companies are the biggest and the best. They’re well established, leaders in their industry, and they’ve got a proven track record of strong financial performance and growth. So if you’re looking to start investing, it’s well worth comparing the best blue chip stocks in Canada.
Keep reading to find out what blue chip stocks are and what benefits they provide for investors.
Blue chip stocks are shares of major publicly traded companies. These companies are many of the largest in Canada, they’re financially robust, and they have a long history of success at the top of their industry.
Why are they called blue chips? The name actually comes from casino poker tables, where blue chips are the most valuable.
There’s no official list a company has to make it onto to be considered a blue chip stock. There’s also no universally agreed upon set of requirements a company must meet to be classified as a blue chip.
Blue chip stocks in Canada, and in the market at large, typically share the following characteristics:
From the Big Five banks to major mining, energy, infrastructure and retail companies, many of Canada’s best-known brands are blue chip stocks. Check out the table below for details of popular blue chip stocks in Canada.
| Company | Ticker | Stock price | Market cap | Pays dividends? | Buy now |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 | RY | (data unavailable) | $217.3 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | TD | (data unavailable) | $144.8 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | ENB | (data unavailable) | $107 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | BN | (data unavailable) | $105.6 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | BMO | (data unavailable) | $89.8 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | AEM | (data unavailable) | $87.6 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | CM | (data unavailable) | $80.1 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | CNQ | (data unavailable) | $71 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | BNS | (data unavailable) | $86.5 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | CP | (data unavailable) | $66.4 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | MFC | (data unavailable) | $59.3 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | TRP | (data unavailable) | $57 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | SU | (data unavailable) | $54.5 billion (USD) | ✓ | Buy now |
 | L.TO | (data unavailable) | $73.9 billion (CAD) | ✓ | Buy now |
Yes, most blue chip stocks in Canada pay dividends. These are often distributed quarterly, but they can also be paid monthly, semi-annually or annually.
As an investor, you can use your blue chip stock dividends as an extra source of passive income. You also have the option to reinvest those profits back into the company with a dividend reinvestment plan (DRIP).
But not all blue chip companies pay dividends. Some companies instead prefer to reinvest profits back into the business to fund growth and expansion, providing value to investors through a rising stock price rather than regular dividends.
Dividend amounts vary, but some of the highest paying Canadian blue chip dividend stocks include:
There’s no widely accepted definition of a blue chip stock, nor is there an official list of all the blue chip stocks in Canada. But many of Canada’s leading blue chips come from sectors that play a crucial role in the country’s economy.
Let’s take a look at blue chip stocks in Canada across a range of industries.
Canada’s banks are some of the largest companies in the country. The Big Five all feature in the top 10 Canadian companies by market capitalization, and all have hundreds of billions or even trillions of dollars of assets under management. Canada’s banking sector is strictly regulated, has a strong global presence and contributes about 3.7% to the country’s GDP.
Blue chip banking and financial services stocks include:
Canada’s rich natural resources have long played a critical role in the country’s economy. As of August 2025, crude petroleum ($11.2 billion) and gold ($3.06 billion) were Canada’s 2 largest exports, with refined petroleum ($1.49 billion) 4th.
As a result, it’s no surprise to find energy and mining companies featuring among the ranks of blue chip stocks in Canada. Examples include:
Utilities companies provide essential services like electricity and water that are crucial for day-to-day life. This means the services they provide are always in high demand, so utilities stocks are often relatively stable and pay regular dividends.
Popular blue chip utilities stocks include:
Canadian blue chip stocks in the information technology sector include hardware, software and semiconductor development companies as well as those that offer services related to computers and the internet. The rise of AI has also seen the tech sector attract plenty of investors, while other developing technologies like blockchain ensure that there are a diverse range of investment opportunities available.
Blue chip IT stocks include:
Canada’s major telecom companies are household names that provide essential services. They operate large networks and provide the internet and mobile services that are crucial for day-to-day life for people and businesses. And that’s why the telecommunications industry contributed $87.3 billion in direct GDP in 2024.
Telecommunications blue chip stocks in Canada include:
Infrastructure is crucial to the growth of any country’s economy, and especially in a nation as large and rugged as Canada. Construction and infrastructure firms, railways, engineering companies and equipment providers are just some of the companies that fall into this category. And with Budget 2025 setting aside $115 billion for federal infrastructure investments, this sector could see plenty of growth in the future.
Examples of blue chip infrastructure stocks include:
Consumer staples companies sell products that we use every day and that are constantly in demand. That includes food and drinks, household products, personal care products and more. Even during times of economic downturn, when many other stocks may struggle, consumer staples companies can continue to provide steady returns.
Canadian blue chip stocks in this sector include:
A look back at the performance of the S&P/TSX 60, an index that tracks the performance of 60 of the largest companies listed on the Toronto Stock Exchange, gives a good indication of how Canadian blue chips have fared in recent times.
Following the fallout from the Global Financial Crisis in 2008-09, when the S&P/TSX 60 dipped below 500 points, it has slowly but steadily increased. There have been plenty of fluctuations along the way—most notably the COVID crash in early 2020—but the index has climbed to over 1,800 points by October 2025.
But it’s worth highlighting the fact that the performance of individual stocks can vary substantially. For example, in the 5 years to November 12, 2025:
This demonstrates that simply choosing a blue chip stock to invest in will not guarantee consistent returns. It also shows how building a diversified portfolio helps spread your risk around, allowing you to overcome any tough periods that affect individual companies.
Choosing individual blue chip stocks to buy takes time and effort. If you invest in a range of stocks, you’ll also need to pay a brokerage fee every time you place a buy order—that is, unless your broker offers $0 commission trading.
But there is an alternative to directly buying multiple stocks: ETFs. Short for exchange-traded fund, an ETF is a pooled investment fund that invests in a diversified basket of stocks.
ETFs are traded on exchanges just like stocks, and when you buy a unit of an ETF, you gain exposure to all the assets it holds.
This makes it easy to create a diversified portfolio of Canadian stocks, while you can also benefit from ETF dividend income. Check out the table below for some examples of Canadian blue chip stock ETFs.
| ETF | Ticker | Management expense ratio | Distribution frequency |
|---|---|---|---|
| iShares S&P/TSX 60 Index ETF | XIU | 0.18% | Quarterly |
| iShares Canadian Select Dividend Index ETF | XDV | 0.55% | Monthly |
| Vanguard FTSE Canadian High Dividend Yield Index ETF | VDY | 0.22% | Monthly |
| Hamilton Canadian Champions Dividend Index ETF | CMVP | 0.19% | Monthly |
| BMO Canadian Dividend ETF | ZDV | 0.39% | Monthly |
Ready to start investing in Canadian blue chip stocks? Here’s what you need to do.
Compare the best stock trading platforms and apps to find the right brokerage account for your needs. Look for a broker that offers low or no commissions, handy research and analysis tools, and a user-friendly platform. You can also check the latest brokerage signup bonuses before making your decision.
You can create a trading account online by providing your personal information and contact details, answering questions about your trading knowledge and uploading proof of ID. You will also need to transfer trading funds from your bank account to your brokerage account.
Research Canadian blue chip companies to choose which ones you would like to invest in. Look at what the company does, its financial statements, its leadership team and its growth potential. You can also use your broker’s research and analysis tools to decide if a stock is a good investment.
Log in to your trading account and search for the stock you want to buy. You can place a market order to buy the stock at its current price, or a limit order to specify the price at which you want to buy.
Blue chip stocks are an important part of a balanced investment portfolio. But they’re not the only type of stock you should consider when choosing investments, so it’s important to check out the categories of stocks listed below.
It’s also worth noting that there can be some overlap between these categories. For example, a blue-chip company can also be classified as a defensive stock, while a small-cap stock can also be a growth stock.
Blue chip stocks are a popular starting point for new investors, and they’re a vital part of a balanced investment portfolio. If you’re ready to invest in blue chip stocks, compare trading platforms to find the best online broker, then research companies and blue chip ETFs before choosing your investments.
We compare seven Wealthsimple alternatives to help you find the best investing platform or day-to-day bank account.
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