Just been looking at ConocoPhillips and honestly, it's one of the best oil stocks to buy now if you're thinking long-term. Here's why this caught my attention.

The company just wrapped up 2025 and the numbers are pretty solid. They pushed out 2.4 million barrels of oil equivalent daily, up 2.5% from the prior year. More importantly, they're running like a cash machine - generated $19.9 billion from operations and $7.3 billion in free cash flow. That's real money they can work with.

What impressed me most was how they handled the Marathon Oil integration. They captured over $1 billion in annual cost savings, actually doubling their initial target. And they're planning another $1 billion in cost cuts this year. When you're cutting costs that aggressively while maintaining production growth, that's the kind of operational excellence you want to see.

But here's the really interesting part - their forward guidance is where this becomes compelling as one of the best oil stocks to buy now. They're expecting to nearly double their free cash flow by 2029. We're talking about an extra $7 billion annually once their LNG projects come online and the Willow project in Alaska starts producing. This assumes oil averaging $70 a barrel, which is pretty conservative given recent prices.

All that growing cash flow means they've got firepower for serious dividend growth. They just raised their dividend by 8% and they're targeting top 25% dividend growth within the S&P 500. That's the kind of income story that compounds over time.

I think what makes this one of the best oil stocks to buy now is the visibility. They've got three major LNG projects under development, Willow coming online in 2029, and a really high-quality asset base. The company has one of the best resource positions in the lower 48 states plus a global portfolio of top-tier expansion projects. That's a lot of growth runway already mapped out.

If you're looking to hold something through the rest of the decade and want exposure to energy with actual cash generation and dividend growth, ConocoPhillips is worth serious consideration. The combination of production growth, cost discipline, and forward cash flow visibility makes it one of the best oil stocks to buy now for a long-term hold.