In this article, we will take a look at the 11 Best Long Term US Stocks to Buy Right Now.
The Franklin Templeton report said long-term investing has usually rewarded patient investors. Markets go through rough periods, as recessions and bear markets happen. Still, the report said markets have often recovered with time. Because of that, staying invested has generally worked better than reacting to short-term swings.
One of the biggest points in the report was the performance of the S&P 500. According to the data cited, the index posted positive average annual returns in 76% of the years between 1937 and 2025. Franklin Templeton used that figure to show that stocks have continued to move higher over the long run despite major economic shocks and downturns. The report also talked about investor behavior. Franklin Templeton said many investors make emotional decisions when markets fall. Some pull money out during downturns and then miss the recovery. The firm noted that rebounds can happen quickly, sometimes when investors least expect them.
Diversification was another major theme. The report encouraged investors to build portfolios around long-term goals, risk tolerance, and time horizon. It also suggested reviewing portfolios from time to time instead of reacting to every headline or market move.
The report also highlighted the gap between market returns and investor returns. From 1994 to 2023, the S&P 500 returned about 10.15% annually. Over the same period, the average equity fund investor earned around 8.01%. Franklin Templeton said poor timing decisions were a big reason for that difference.
Given this, we will take a look at some of the best long-term stocks to invest in.
Photo by Sharon McCutcheon on Unsplash
Our Methodology:
For this article, we screened for US companies with strong balance sheets and sound financials. From that list, we identified companies with positive revenue growth over the past five years and shortlisted those that have a 5-year average annual revenue growth of over 10%. Finally, we picked 11 companies that were most popular among hedge funds, as per Insider Monkey’s database of Q4 2025.
Why are we interested in the stocks that hedge funds pile into? The reason is simple: our research has shown that we can outperform the market by imitating the top stock picks of the best hedge funds. Our quarterly newsletter’s strategy selects 14 small-cap and large-cap stocks every quarter and has returned 498.7% since May 2014, beating its benchmark by 303 percentage points (see more details here).
11. ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 46
5-Year Average Revenue Growth: 32.7%
On May 6, Freedom Broker downgraded ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) to Hold from Buy. It raised the price target on the stock to $102 from $100. The firm described the company’s Q1 report as mixed and said the downgrade was tied to valuation concerns.
On May 4, Truist analyst Gabe Daoud raised the firm’s price recommendation on OKE to $93 from $91. The analyst reiterated a Hold rating on the stock. The update came as part of a broader research note covering midstream energy companies after Q1 earnings. The analyst said the quarter benefited from spread optimization, which helped drive stronger financial results and guidance increases. Still, the outlook ahead appears less certain because of commodity price volatility, existing hedges, and expectations that Waha/Katy/HSC spreads could narrow as 4.6Bcf/d of Permian egress capacity is expected to come online. The analyst shared those views in a research note to investors.
ONEOK, Inc. (NYSE:OKE) operates in the midstream energy sector and provides gathering, processing, fractionation, transportation, storage, and marine export services. Its business segments include Natural Gas Gathering and Processing, Natural Gas Liquids, Natural Gas Pipelines, and Refined Products and Crude.
10. Diamondback Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG)
Number of Hedge Fund Holders: 46
5-Year Average Revenue Growth: 41.9%
On May 11, Bernstein analyst Bob Brackett raised the firm’s price recommendation on Diamondback Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) to $241 from $237. The analyst reiterated an Outperform rating on the shares. The firm said oil markets could still move in several directions from here, including extreme scenarios such as the Strait of Hormuz remaining closed for years. Even so, Bernstein updated its models based on the assumption that conditions would return to normal by mid-year.
On May 7, Truist increased its price goal on FANG to $242 from $222. It kept a Buy rating on the stock. The analyst noted that in Permian activity, Diamondback benefits from seeing about half of the basin’s activity through Viper. The firm also said it did not see anything new on the permitting side but observed that private rigs are being added. Based on those trends, Truist estimates the Permian rig count could rise by 25 to 30 rigs by the end of 2026, according to a research note sent to investors.
Diamondback Energy Inc. (NASDAQ:FANG) is an independent oil and natural gas company focused on the acquisition, development, exploration, and exploitation of unconventional onshore oil and natural gas reserves, mainly in the Permian Basin of West Texas.
