The world's oldest listed company

[Lupo Lupus]

 

 

Does anybody know what the oldest, still operating, LISTED company is (worldwide)? Its fairly easy to find lists of the the oldest existing companies, but I could not find any info on the listed ones.

[rkbabang]

Hudson's Bay Company maybe?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hudson%27s_Bay_Company

 

 

[DooDiligence]

http://www.minyanville.com/special-features/articles/oldest-public-companies-america2527s-oldest-companies/9/23/2011/id/37022

 

and

 

FKRAF

[Lupo Lupus]

http://www.minyanville.com/special-features/articles/oldest-public-companies-america2527s-oldest-companies/9/23/2011/id/37022

 

and

 

FKRAF

 

Fiskars Oyj FKRAF was founded 1649 -- seems to be the winner so far. Probably going into my portfolio -- to make it look more respectable!

[watsa_is_a_randian_hero]

http://www.minyanville.com/special-features/articles/oldest-public-companies-america2527s-oldest-companies/9/23/2011/id/37022

 

and

 

FKRAF

 

this is america.  hudson bay is not.  i think hudson bay is older

[writser]

Maybe https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stora_Enso ? Some old companies are taken over, do you want to include them? E.g. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kong%C5%8D_Gumi .

[skanjete]

This one is quite old as well, although I'm not sure if it will continue a whole lot longer : Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena.

 

"Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena was founded by order of the Magistrature of the Republic of Siena as Monte di Pietà on March 4, 1472, when its statute was approved. Since then the bank has been in operation without interruption to the present day. It is therefore considered the oldest bank in the world still operating."

 

Listed, but only since 1999.

[rkbabang]

http://www.minyanville.com/special-features/articles/oldest-public-companies-america2527s-oldest-companies/9/23/2011/id/37022

 

and

 

FKRAF

 

Fiskars Oyj FKRAF was founded 1649 -- seems to be the winner so far. Probably going into my portfolio -- to make it look more respectable!

 

It looks like Kongō Gumi Co., Ltd. founded 578 wins.  Maybe create a basket of ancient companies.

 

[StockDuck13]

Here's a good list.

Oldest_Public_Companies.pdf

[Spekulatius]

Gomo, that Japanese construction company, wasn’t listed so I don’t think it would count. If we look for continuously operated business of any kind, the Hallstatt salt mine in Austria, which has been operated for 7000 years (not sure continuously) probably wins:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hallein_Salt_Mine

 

The Reichenhall salt mine closeby, which I visited on my trip to Germany (very worthwhile) , has been continuously operated for 500 years.

[Hielko]

But was it a company that owned and operated the mine? and has the same company operated it during all that time. Probably not.

[Spekulatius]

But was it a company that owned and operated the mine? and has the same company operated it during all that time. Probably not.

 

OP asked for listed companies. Gomo, as I understand it was a family business that was purchased by a listed company.

 

The first listed company was The Dutch East India Company, which started in 1602 or thereabouts and ceased to existing in 1799. The Salt mine probably want started as a corporation 7000 years ago, but it seemed to be an organized effort at least since the Bronze Age, if not early based on ar archeology, since individuals by by themselves could never have done such an undertaken. Quite a durable resource and operation for sure.