3 Canadian Founder Led Stocks With P E Under 31

Interest rates have jumped as global borrowing costs respond to higher government debt and rising energy prices. That puts pressure on heavily leveraged businesses. It also shines a light on founder run Canadian companies where leaders often have significant personal wealth tied up in the stock and strong incentives to manage capital carefully. This article walks through three such stocks from our founder focused screener that might deserve a closer look.

The three founder led stocks below are only a small sample, since the full screen surfaced 88 more companies with similarly rich stories that are not covered here. To identify and analyze the candidates that best fit your own risk profile and conviction level, head straight into the Founder-Led Companies screener.

Aritzia (TSX:ATZ)

Overview: Aritzia is a Vancouver based womenswear retailer, shaped by founder Brian Hill’s boutique focused vision, selling apparel and accessories across Canada and the United States.

Operations: Aritzia generates about CA$4.0b from apparel, with roughly CA$1.5b from Canada and CA$2.5b from the United States. This reflects the company’s cross border reach.

Market Cap: CA$14.1b

Aritzia appeals to founder focused investors because Brian Hill’s imprint still guides how the brand grows, spends, and protects its boutique first model. This model now faces a fresh real world test in the next phase of U.S. expansion.

"Aritzia's geographic expansion strategy, particularly in the United States, has shown strong performance and presents significant growth potential through ongoing boutique openings. This is likely to drive revenue growth."

What ultimately happens to Aritzia’s valuation story now comes down to how one quiet pressure shapes future profitability and investor confidence.

That pressure point is exactly where the story sharpens, and the full narrative for Aritzia shows how Aritzia’s capital choices could accelerate or cap the next phase of its U.S. push.

Onex (TSX:ONEX)

Overview: Onex is a Toronto based private equity investor that acquires, controls, and actively manages businesses, often alongside founders, across multiple sectors.

Operations: Onex records US$103 million from investing activities and US$285 million from asset management, alongside a US$320 million segment adjustment.

Market Cap: CA$8.0b

Onex appeals to founder focused investors because its core playbook is taking control of operating platforms and working directly with founder like leaders. Recent earnings have declined and insider selling has picked up, and future value creation is tied to how that owner led model handles one growing pressure on profitability and capital flexibility.

That pressure on profitability and flexibility makes the next step critical. Head to the 2 key rewards and 2 important warning signs (1 is major!) to see where Onex could still surprise.

Green Thumb Industries (CNSX:GTII)

Overview: Green Thumb Industries is a founder led U.S. cannabis producer and retailer, with Ben Kovler’s ongoing leadership tightly linked to shareholder outcomes.

Operations: Green Thumb Industries records about US$846 million from Retail and US$681 million from Consumer Packaged Goods, almost entirely in the United States.

Market Cap: CA$2.1b

Green Thumb Industries fits the founder led theme because Ben Kovler is not just on the letterhead. He is still shaping how capital, risk, and expansion decisions are made as cannabis rules keep shifting underfoot.

"Persistent regulatory uncertainty at the federal and state level, including confusion surrounding the legal status of hemp and cannabis, makes capital allocation decisions difficult and could hinder addressable market expansion, thus restricting revenue growth."

The real test for Green Thumb Industries now turns on how one unseen pressure ultimately filters through to pricing power and margin resilience.

When that pressure hits pricing and margins, the full narrative for Green Thumb Industries maps how Green Thumb Industries could still turn regulatory friction into accelerating scale and cash flow strength.

Seeking Alternatives Before The Crowd

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This article by Simply Wall St is general in nature. We provide commentary based on historical data and analyst forecasts only using an unbiased methodology and our articles are not intended to be financial advice. It does not constitute a recommendation to buy or sell any stock, and does not take account of your objectives, or your financial situation. We aim to bring you long-term focused analysis driven by fundamental data. Note that our analysis may not factor in the latest price-sensitive company announcements or qualitative material. Simply Wall St has no position in any stocks mentioned.

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