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.
What are blue chip stocks?
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.
What is considered a blue-chip stock?
Blue chip stocks in Canada, and in the market at large, typically share the following characteristics:
Established companies. Blue chips aren’t startups or overnight successes. They’re usually businesses with a long history, often several decades or even older.
Recognizable brands. Blue chips are industry leaders with a global presence, and many of them have household names you instantly recognize.
Strong track records. Blue chip companies have a proven track record of delivering long-term growth. They’re financially strong and have demonstrated that they’re capable of thriving in strong and weak economies.
Large market caps. Blue chip stocks are large-cap companies, and Canadian blue chip companies typically have market caps of billions or even hundreds of billions of dollars.
Dividend payments. Most blue chip companies make regular dividend payments to shareholders as a way to share their profits with investors.
Part of a major index. You can find blue chip stocks in major market indexes like the S&P/TSX 60 in Canada, the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 in the US, and the FTSE 100 in the UK.
List of popular blue chip stocks in Canada
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.
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.
What are the 10 highest paying Canadian dividend stocks?
Dividend amounts vary, but some of the highest paying Canadian blue chip dividend stocks include:
Telus
National Bank of Canada
Brookfield Asset Management
Rogers Communications
Enbridge
Canadian Natural Resources
Royal Bank of Canada
Fortis
TC Energy
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners
Blue chip stock industries in Canada
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.
Banking and financial services
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:
Royal Bank of Canada
Toronto-Dominion Bank
Bank of Montreal
Scotiabank
CIBC
National Bank of Canada
Energy and mining
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:
Enbridge
Agnico Eagle Mines
Canadian Natural Resources
TC Energy
Suncor Energy
Utilities
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:
Fortis
Emera
Canadian Utilities
Information technology
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:
Constellation Software
CGI
Telecommunications
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:
Telus
BCE
Rogers
Infrastructure
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:
CPKC (Canadian Pacific Kansas City)
Canadian National Railway
Brookfield Infrastructure Partners
Consumer staples
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:
Loblaw Companies
Alimentation Couche-Tard
Dollarama
How have Canadian blue chip stocks performed historically?
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:
The S&P/TSX 60 increased 82.47%.
Some blue chip companies had sizable gains, such as RBC (+107.93%), Enbridge (+82.58%) and Loblaw Companies (+256.79%).
Other blue chip stocks either experienced much lower gains or actually fell in value. Examples include BCE (-42.91%), Emera (+19.90%), Telus (-17.10%) and Canadian National Railway (-9.81%).
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.
Canadian blue chip ETFs
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
How to buy blue chip stocks
Ready to start investing in Canadian blue chip stocks? Here’s what you need to do.
Step 1: Choose a trading platform
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.
d599fb3a-3477-4063-87f4-1540c26e9cad-Easy to use app
Easy to use app
Easy-to-use platform
Low fees compared to other Big Bank platforms
Wide range of research tools and order types
Discounts for young investors and active traders
Our selection of top picks is based on the same criteria as our annual Stock Trading Platform Awards. This is updated yearly to reflect changes in the market.
"Best for" picks are those we've evaluated to be best for specific product features or categories – you can read our full methodology here. If we show a "Promoted" pick, it's been chosen from among our commercial partners and is based on factors that include special features or offers, and the commission we receive.
This isn't an exhaustive list of all the trading platforms out there. What's best for you depends on your own investing strategy, budget and financial goals.
Step 2: Open an account and deposit funds
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.
Step 3: Choose a stock to buy
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.
Step 4: Place a buy order
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.
Alternatives to blue chip stocks for Canadian investors
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.
Mid-cap stocks. Mid-cap stocks aren’t as large and well established as blue chips, but they still have significant market caps of approximately $2 billion to $10 billion. They can help you diversify your portfolio and provide more growth potential than blue chip stocks, but with less risk than investing in small-caps.
Small-cap stocks. As a general guide, small-caps have market caps of less than $2 billion. They offer plenty of potential upside, but they can also be volatile and come with a higher level of risk.
Value stocks. Value stocks are companies with undervalued share prices. They have characteristics like a low price-to-earnings ratio and high dividend yield, and investors buy them in the hope that they will rise to their accurate market value.
Growth stocks. These are companies that investors expect will outperform the market. They don’t pay dividends, instead preferring to reinvest profits back into the business. They offer the potential for significant gains, but they also come with a higher level of risk.
Defensive stocks. Defensive stocks are companies that provide essential services such as consumer staples and utilities. They offer reliability and stability, providing steady returns and low volatility, but they have less growth potential.
International stocks. You can also look to diversify your portfolio by investing in international stocks, both in developed countries and emerging markets.
Bottom line
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.
Frequently asked questions
There are two ways you can potentially make money by investing in blue chip stocks. The first is capital appreciation, when you buy stocks and then sell them at a higher price than you initially paid. The second is through dividend payments, which are regular payments most blue chips make to investors as a way of sharing their profits.
Blue chip stocks in Canada operate across a range of industries that play an important role in the Canadian economy, including financial services, energy, mining, utilities and telecommunications. Many blue chip stocks in Canada are household names, but the best choice for you will depend on your investment goals and time frame. Compare a range of stocks and research any investment thoroughly before buying.
It depends on the trading platform you choose. Some brokers may require you to cover the full price of a single stock, which usually ranges from around $20 to $300 depending on the company you invest in. However, some brokers support fractional shares, which means you can start investing with as little as $1.
Yes, you can buy international stocks from Canada. You'll need to open a trading account with a broker that offers access to the international markets around the world. Many platforms offer low-fee trading of US stocks, but access to other global exchanges varies depending on the platform you choose.
Tim Falk is a freelance writer for Finder. Over the course of his 20-year writing career, he has reported on a wide range of personal finance topics. Whether you're investing in stocks and ETFs, comparing savings accounts or choosing a credit card, Tim wants to make it easier for you to understand. When he’s not staring at his computer, you can usually find him exploring the great outdoors.
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