The Most Expensive Stock: Top 10 Highest-Priced Stocks in the World

The stock market is going mad. Prices are up more than 50% since the COVID crash of 2020 and continue to rise. Now many analysts are lamenting the high price of stocks – something they say is unsustainable.

That doesn’t seem to have affected market participants, though. Company share values just keep going up, and nothing looks like it can stop their run. 

In this post, we take a look at the most expensive stocks in the world as they were in December 2021. If you think you can just buy shares in these companies with loose change, think again.

Because they have grown in value so much since their inception, their nominal values are now exorbitant. And the companies that issue them have, so far, refused to divide them into smaller chunks (perhaps because they want to keep small fry retail investors out of the market). 

The Top 10 Most Expensive Stocks in the World Right Now

The following is a list of the most valuable company stocks you can buy. Here, we look purely at the nominal price of the stock, not other methods of judging how expensive a stock is, such as the price-earnings ratio. So what is the most expensive stock in 2021? Who has the highest stock price? 

Berkshire Hathaway – $427,405 per share

Berkshire Hathaway is a famous conglomerate holding company headed by the legendary investor Warren Buffett and his business partner Charlie Munger. The firm invests in utilities, food companies, consumer goods, insurance, railways, and finance firms. Its market value is currently $634.32 billion, making it one of the largest companies in the world. 

And its shares aren’t cheap, which is partially driven by Buffet’s aversion to stock splits. If you want to buy one stock of his company, you’ll need to remortgage your home. The price for a piece of the pie is $427,405, which makes it the most expensive stock (in purely nominal terms) in the world. 

Warren Buffett’s empire comprises a range of affiliated businesses, including BNSF railways, Berkshire Hathaway Energy, GEICO care insurance, General Re reinsurance, and other insurance firms. Attendees at the company’s annual shareholder meetings typically exceed 40,000.

Lindt & Sprüngli AG – $116,500 per share

If you want to own a piece of Lindt & Sprüngli AG, you’ll need to fork out a massive $116,500 - the second-highest stock price ever. The company is famous for producing some of the most delicious Swiss chocolate in the world and is currently worth around $28.30 billion. The brand owns several large factories, plus more than 410 stores in various countries across the globe. 

The company’s share price is high partially due to its long history. David Sprüngli founded it in 1836 in Zurich, and since then, it has continued to grow. The business really took off in 1988 when Rudolf Lindt’s operation bought it out and rebranded it. Since then, it purchased a range of other European confectionery producers, becoming a true conglomerate. 

Of course, Lindt & Sprüngli AG doesn’t just make chocolate products anymore. It also manufactures sweets and ice cream, plus seasonal treats, famously the Lindt Bunny at Easter.

NVR Incorporated – $5,893 per share

Never heard of NVR Incorporated? If so, you’re not alone. The company, which boasts one of the highest stocks on the market, builds houses, issues mortgage loans, and goes by other names. Since its inception, it has constructed more than 365,000 properties for clients across the US. 

NVR Incorporated owns multiple subsidiaries, which constitute its client-facing brands. These include Fox Ridge Homes, Heartland Homes, Ryan Homes, and NVHomes. 

You’ll notice that the price per share is substantially lower than the previous two examples. But, when compared to penny stocks, it’s still rather steep. Again, the reason for this has to do with how the company divides shares.

NVR grew a lot over the past 20 years and became more profitable, so the initial shares it released at a low price are now worth substantially more, putting it in the top 5 stocks.

Seaboard Corporation – $3,884 per share

Seaboard Corporation is another company you might not have heard of. Its market value isn’t particularly high at $4.51 billion. However, the same can’t be said about its share prices. 

Seaboard is a diversified corporation with operations in both transportation and agriculture. It mainly involves itself in pork production in the US and operates several large ocean-going cargo ships. Currently, it headquarters in Kansas. 

Amazon Inc. – $3,523 per share

It wasn’t that long ago that even Amazon’s highest stock price was moderate. However, if you want to own part of the brand’s fortune today, you’ll need to empty your pockets. The current entry price for a piece of Jeff Bezos’ pie is $3,523. 

Amazon is one of the most valuable companies in the world, just behind Microsoft and Apple. In Q3 2021, it had over $110 billion in revenue and a market capitalization of $1.79 trillion, making it one of only a handful of companies in the world to break the $1-trillion mark. 

Strikingly, the company of this size is less than three decades old. Bezos set it up in Seattle in 1994, originally intending for it to be a bookstore. Since then, it’s grown to employ more than a million people and accumulate more than $360 billion in assets.

Alphabet Inc. – $2,964 per share

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is another tech company experiencing tremendous success. The brand is worth nearly $1.97 trillion, making it a contender for the most valuable stock in history. 

The search giant was set up by Larry Page and Sergey Brin in 1998. Within just a few years, it dominated internet search and, today, it’s the largest advertising platform and search engine in the world. 

Booking Holdings – $2,307 per share

Booking Holdings is the parent company of Booking.com, one of the most successful travel websites in the world. The company got its start in 1997 under the name The Priceline Group Inc. When it held its IPO, it managed to raise more than $12.9 billion in assets on the first trading day.

It then went on to achieve a market cap of $94.74 billion, thanks primarily to the success of its internet platforms, including Kayak.com, OpenTable.com, and Agoda.com. Booking.com remains its most popular brand. 

AutoZone Incorporated – $1,989 per share

Nipping at Booking Holdings’ heels is AutoZone. Shares for the firm are currently selling for $1,989 per share.

AutoZone got its start in 1979 and has since seen enormous growth across the US. It now operates more than 6,000 outlets across 49 states, specializing in automotive repair. It’s currently the second-largest retailer of replacement auto parts and accessories. 

Cable ONE – $1,806 per share

Cable ONE is the new name for US-based communications services company Graham Holdings Company. The firm began operating in 1997 and is currently the seventh-largest cable operator in the US, with more than 800,000 customers. Headquartered in Phoenix, it offers multiple services, including cable TV, telephone, and internet. Picking up a single share for this firm will set you back $1,806, which makes it one of the companies with the highest-priced stocks.

Chipotle Mexican Grill – $1,739 per share

A few years ago, Chipotle was in a bad place. Negative reviews sent its share price into free-fall. However, the restaurant chain quickly turned things around, and now the share price has climbed to $1,739, putting it squarely in this “top-10” list of stocks by price.

Chipotle began operating in California in 1993, headed by CEO Steve Ells. Today, it serves Mexican food in multiple countries across the world, including the UK, France, Germany, and Canada. It offers a “fast casual” service, similar to many other currently successful restaurant chains. 

Stocks That Might Become Expensive in the Future

Of course, this list is subject to change. Due to the advancements in tech and the rise of products like investment apps, there are now more potential individual investors than ever, and several popular stocks that look like they will break into the top 10 soon.

Tesla, for instance, is currently valued at $1,069 per share with a market cap of $1.07 trillion. If it can bring its ambitious plans to fruition, it’ll likely become the most valuable firm in the world (implying a share price similar to that of Amazon or Google). 

In Conclusion

As you can see, the most valuable companies in the world don’t necessarily have the most expensive stock share. Apple and Microsoft, for instance, are conspicuously absent from our list. That’s because these companies divide the value of their shares to make them more affordable for individual investors.

To really judge how expensive a share is, you need to compare it to earnings, not just look at the nominal price.