Blue chips are stocks that are considered more reliable than most of their peers. This could be because they operate in an industry that has been relatively stable in the past, or because they have an advantage over their peers, which makes their financial performance more consistent and robust than sector rivals.
With Shell’s (LSE: RDSB) share price having fallen by almost a third since its 2014 high and its bottom line forecast to decline by 35% in the current year, it appears at first glance as though Shell is not a blue-chip share. Yet despite this it still features as a core stock in a wide range of portfolios, with investors having historically viewed it as being a safe, secure and reliable investment for the long term.