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World's oldest companies: Old-age performers

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Making money from year-to-year can be challenging enough, but imagine doing it for centuries. Japan has some of the oldest companies in the world - for example, Buddhist temple and coffin builder Kongo Gumi had been trading for 14 whole centuries before it closed down in 2006. There are plenty of European and American companies that have been around the block a few times, some of which are more than 300 years old. They're like the old grandpa you can rely on for sweets and pocket money. These are brands that have been in banking, retail, property and letter-posting for hundreds of years. Many are household names, and although some have been merged into other businesses, there are plenty still trading under their original brand. Age before beauty.

This list contains the oldest listed companies in the world (to make the list they have to have been founded in the 19th century or earlier). However, some brands and companies have been left off if they have been taken over by larger, younger, better looking conglomerates. This list does not constitute trading advice, and we recommend you do your own research into any investment before placing a trade.