Five stocks that have ruled as long as the Queen – and are still worth owning

Only a handful of listed British companies have been trading for as long as the Queen has been on the throne. They have survived seven decades of economic turbulence, proving their long-term ability to generate cash, but does that make them good investments?

Household favourites 

Tom Stevenson, of the investment firm Fidelity, said that investors should value businesses with long histories. He picked out consumer goods giants such as Unilever, founded in 1927, and Tate & Lyle, as well as the bakery chain Greggs, founded in 1939. 

“A few common threads run through their corporate histories,” Mr Stevenson said. “They all enjoy strong brand names, defensible market positions or operate in areas of the market that are protected from the ebb and flow of the economic cycle.

“At a time of rising inflation and slowing growth, this is a defensive part of the market. Even in tough times we will continue to shop at supermarkets, stocking up on basics like sugar and the household brands in Unilever’s portfolio of products. Fashions come and go but the familiar lunchtime fare on offer at Greggs will always be in vogue.”

While shares in Tate & Lyle have barely moved over the past decade, Unilever has grown by 66pc. Greggs however has delivered exceptional returns for shareholders, with its share price soaring nearly fourfold over the same period.