Today's biggest, best-known companies are mostly mere teenagers in the history books of business- not least because their main activities have become possible only since the industrial revolution.

Microsoft for example, was not born until the relatively recent We know that corporate longevity is highly unusual. One-third of the firms in the Fortune in no longer existed in - killed by merger , acquisition, bankruptcy or break-up. With so many companies failing, find out how some companies survive by checking out Stock Scandals: Why Some Companies Survive.

Of course it is difficult to accurately calculate the exact age of companies.

Category:Companies listed on the London Stock Exchange - Wikipedia

We cannot always say with absolute certainty whether the companies are really old, continuous businesses or, rather, newer firms that were once trade associations, state organizations or the result of mergers or acquisitions. Complex date calculations aside, we will have a look at a handful of the companies who have withstood the test of time, both at home and abroad.

Consolidated Edison Con Edison - Con Ed to generations of New Yorkers - started way back in , when its earliest corporate entity, the New York Gas Light Company, received a state charter to install natural gas lines in lower Manhattan, replacing the whale oil lamps that dated back to the s. In New York Gas Light was listed on the New York Stock Exchange NYSE , and it holds the record for being the longest listed stock on the NYSE.

In the early years of the 20th century the firm expanded into electricity, and in was renamed the Consolidated Edison Company of New York. Today, Consolidated Edison provides electricity to over three million customers in New York City and Westchester County, and provides gas to more than a million.

With energy still being an industry in demand, it may be something you would like to add to your portfolio, for more check out ETFs Provide Easy Access To Energy Commodities. Lloyd's Today, Lloyd's is the world's leading insurance market, housed over the pond in London, England.

However, its beginnings lie in the more modest surroundings of a 17th century coffee house. London was growing in importance as a global trade center, which in turn led to an increasing demand for ship and cargo insurance, and in Edward Lloyd's Coffee House became the place to purchase marine insurance.

Lloyd's has grown and expanded over the years to become the world's leading market for specialist insurance in a wide range of areas.

insurance companies listed london stock exchange

But in America, perhaps Lloyd's most famous moment came as a result of the San Francisco earthquake of After the earthquake, Lloyd's underwriter , Cuthbert Heath said: Lloyd's faced an enormous bill. But they honored it, and Lloyd's good faith was soon rewarded. IBM A newer company, but one that just celebrated a big birthday is IBM, who hit the year mark last month.

International Business Machines - or its predecessor, the Computing-Tabulating-Recording Company - was founded on June 16, by the financier Charles Ranlett Flint. IBM has had a colorful years, acting as a pioneer in both the American "New Deal" on social security and in civil rights, yet also being accused of providing equipment to the Nazi regime during the Second World War.

For decades it was the biggest technology company in the world, but the firm suffered a near disaster in the s when it failed to keep up with others' innovations. However, a new CEO , Louis V Gerstner, turned the company around during the s, coinciding with the rise of the internet. Gerstner retired in , leaving the company once again one of the top computing firms in the world. To help you find stocks with similar turn around effect as these companies, read Turnaround Stocks: U-Turn To High Returns.

Tuttle Farm Tuttle Farm in New Hampshire is an inspiring case of a withstanding American family business. Now run by the 11th generation of the family, the farm is the oldest continually operating family farm in the United States.

It all began in the s when John Tuttle arrived in the New World bearing a land grant from King Charles II. The farm has seen many changes over the years it has been trading, especially in the last 50 or so with the rise of the supermarket and the closing of many "mom and pop" businesses.

But they have made the developments that have been necessary to ensure that their business has survived, and is fit to see future generations carry on the family tradition. Although they have now ceased trading, no piece about historical firms would be complete without at least mentioning the Japanese temple builder Kongo Gumi.

This business had been trading for 14 centuries and was, until , the world's oldest continuously operating family business. One of the secrets of Kongo Gumi's 1, year run was its flexibility. For example, when the temple building business suffered during World War II, the company responded and switched to building coffins.

Kongo Gumi's success also suggests that it's a good idea to operate in a stable industry. Few industries could be less volatile than Buddhist temple construction - where the belief system has survived for thousands of years and has many millions of followers. Unfortunately, even these factors could not protect this historic firm from the downturn in Japan's economy. Jim Collins, co-author of the book "Built to Last-Successful Habits of Visionary Companies," wonders if we should be praising these companies for lasting so long.

He remarks that surely the point of being in business is to do something remarkable, not merely to survive. A lot of mediocre companies endure for many decades, he says, but "it's like running a ten-hour marathon.

A Successful Company's Best Defense. Dictionary Term Of The Day. A measure of what it costs an investment company to operate a mutual fund. Latest Videos PeerStreet Offers New Way to Bet on Housing New to Buying Bitcoin?

This Mistake Could Cost You Guides Stock Basics Economics Basics Options Basics Exam Prep Series 7 Exam CFA Level 1 Series 65 Exam. Sophisticated content for financial advisors around investment strategies, industry trends, and advisor education. Greatest Investors Of course it is difficult to accurately calculate the exact age of companies. But they have made the developments that have been necessary to ensure that their business has survived, and is fit to see future generations carry on the family tradition 5.

Kongo Gumi Although they have now ceased trading, no piece about historical firms would be complete without at least mentioning the Japanese temple builder Kongo Gumi. What enables a company to withstand the tests of time? Lloyd Blankfein loves to compete. According to a recent presentation from a Lloyds Banking Group NYSE: LYG union representative to employees, the U.

Lloyds said to cut a further jobs and branches as the Brexit fallout continues. Lloyds is riding the diversification train to destinations outside of its comfort zone.

Company search | London Stock Exchange Group

But is the company taking on unnecessary risk? Edison International will send its dividend payment on April 30 to shareholders of record as of March Learn about what makes an insurance company the best.

Read about the best life insurance companies in the U. Learn about the difference between mergers and acquisitions. Discover what factors may encourage a company to merge or acquire Find out why an investor would consider the insurance sector, why that sector is relatively risk-averse and read about some Discover why value investors should consider the insurance sector.

Value investors look for extremes in valuation and sentiment An expense ratio is determined through an annual A hybrid of debt and equity financing that is typically used to finance the expansion of existing companies.

A period of time in which all factors of production and costs are variable. In the long run, firms are able to adjust all A legal agreement created by the courts between two parties who did not have a previous obligation to each other.

A macroeconomic theory to explain the cause-and-effect relationship between rising wages and rising prices, or inflation. A statistical technique used to measure and quantify the level of financial risk within a firm or investment portfolio over No thanks, I prefer not making money. Content Library Articles Terms Videos Guides Slideshows FAQs Calculators Chart Advisor Stock Analysis Stock Simulator FXtrader Exam Prep Quizzer Net Worth Calculator.

Work With Investopedia About Us Advertise With Us Write For Us Contact Us Careers. Get Free Newsletters Newsletters. All Rights Reserved Terms Of Use Privacy Policy.

inserted by FC2 system