One such share, TFI International (TSX:TFII), is currently trading well below its 52-week high. However, the company continues to strengthen its core businesses, returning billions in cash to shareholders and laying a solid foundation for long-term earnings growth. In this article, I’ll talk about why this transportation giant still looks like a very attractive Canadian stock to buy now and forget about for a long time.
A beaten Canadian stock to buy and hold forever
Simply put, TFI International is a North American freight and logistics company headquartered in Saint-Laurent. It operates in three main segments: less than truckload (LTL), truckload (TL) and logistics. Currently, the shares are trading at $143.77 each, with a market cap of $11.8 billion. It also offers a quarterly dividend with an annualized yield of 1.8% at the current market price.
While TFI shares are down 34% from their 52-week high, they are up more than 21% in the past month, signaling a recovery from previous weakness. The recent share price rise reflects renewed investor interest, possibly driven by the company’s continued buybacks and dividend increases.
A closer look at recent financial performance
Now let’s take a look at what’s been happening behind the scenes at TFI in recent quarters. The recent dip at TFI can mainly be attributed to weaker freight demand within the business units. In the third quarter, the company’s total revenue fell 10% year-over-year (YoY) to $1.97 billion, mainly due to lower volumes. As a result, adjusted quarterly EBITDA (earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization) also fell nearly 14% year-over-year to $305.4 million. Segment-wise, TFI’s revenue fell by 11% in LTL, 7% in TL and 14% in logistics.
Yet the company still managed to generate $199.4 million in free cash flow in the last quarter and more than $570 million in the first nine months of 2025. It used that to fund share buybacks and dividends, including a 13% dividend increase this year and another 4% increase approved for the next payout.
Long-term fundamentals remain strong
While TFI International’s latest results may be under pressure due to industry-wide pressures, the company continues to expand through targeted acquisitions. For example, the recent acquisition of Daseke contributed to an increase in turnover in the truckload segment last quarter. Meanwhile, TFI is also maintaining an asset-light approach in logistics and shifting focus to segments with higher margins and higher returns.
Interestingly, TFI’s other major strength is capital discipline. The company has been aggressively buying back shares, reducing its share count and supporting future earnings per share growth. In fact, it has repurchased 2.6 million shares as of September 2025, and its board of directors renewed approval to repurchase up to 10% of shares.
Despite weaker operating conditions, TFI’s ability to generate stable cash flow, increase dividends, and remain opportunistic with new acquisitions clearly shows why it is a solid buy-and-hold stock for long-term investors, especially after the recent dip.
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