comments Trendy US Magnificent Seven stocks were outperformed by a selection of so-called 'fusty' British shares in 2025, analysis shows. A handful of British stocks, including Aviva and Marks & Spencer, performed better than the likes of Meta and Tesla last year, experts at the Rathbone Income Fund said. The Magnificent Seven includes Alphabet, Amazon, Apple, Meta, Microsoft, Nvidia and Tesla. Together, the businesses have been operating for around 233 years, with Microsoft operating for 50 years. The 'fusty' British stocks of Aviva, Imperial Brands, NatWest, Centrica and Marks & Spencer, If you go back to their origins, have a combined history stretching back around 1,056 years. Though NatWest was formally created in 1970, its origins stretch back to 1861. Centrica is the baby of the group, at around 29-years-old. 'UK value stocks, long dismissed as dull or ex-growth, are outperforming the Magnificent Seven', Alan Dobbie, a fund manager of the Rathbone Income Fund, said. According to the analysis, returns from NatWest shares jumped over 70 per cent in 2025 and just over 40 per cent in Centrica. Meanwhile, shareholders in businesses like Apple, Microsoft and Tesla saw their returns drop. This shift could mark a 'turning point in global equity markets, as investors 'reassess valuations, geopolitical risk and the sustainability of momentum-driven strategies', the findings said. On the up: Shares in NatWest have risen by around 70% in the past year In the past year, Aviva shares have jumped nearly 30 per cent to 649.40p, while Imperial Brands shares are up nearly 20 per cent in 12 months. For more than a decade, shareholders have often rewarded growth 'at any price, with value discipline often seen as an unnecessary constraint', the analysis said. Now, however, 'style momentum has become a headwind'. Dobbie said: 'Markets are once again scrutinising what's priced in and we think that changes the environment fundamentally'. Recent market volatility, 'narrow leadership' and heightened geopolitical tensions have pushed risk premia higher, piling pressure on big-name US technology names while UK equities, 'trading at significant valuation discounts and offering attractive income', have benefited from renewed investor interest, the research said. RELATED ARTICLES