10 Most Expensive Stocks In the World Revealed
While purchasing the shares of many of the most successful companies won’t cost you a small fortune, there are several companies, the stocks of which are priced in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.
Often (but not always), these companies hold significant market value, making them a preferred choice for growth investors and market participants looking for long-term capital appreciation.
See Also: Top 10 Best Stocks to Buy Now
Most Expensive Stocks
1. Berkshire Hathaway (BRK.A)
Berkshire Hathaway is by far the most expensive stock in the world and a synonym for Warren Buffet’s success in the stock market. The company was founded in 1839 by Oliver Chase as a textile manufacturing enterprise.
In 1965, Warren Buffet bought the company and revamped it into a financial conglomerate holding company with majority stakes in leading companies.
The main holdings include AAPL, BAC, WFC, KO and GS, with a current market capitalization of $745.92B.
2. Lindt & Sprüngli AG (COCXF)
Chocoladefabriken Lindt & Sprüngli AG, commonly referred to as just “Lindt,” is a Swiss chocolate company headquartered in Kilchberg, Switzerland. Lindt specializes in confectionery and runs its stores and cafes with over 500 locations worldwide. According to the company, its venues welcome over 80 million visitors every year.
The company has a very long history. It was found in 1836 in Zurich as a candy store named “David Sprüngli & Son.” Over time, it started growing its business, and in 1988, it acquired the chocolate factory of Rudolf Lindt. The deal was followed by purchases of several other companies from the US, Italy and Austria, including Hofbauer (1994), Caffarel (1997), Ghirardelli (1997) and Russell Stover Candles (2014).
Today, Lindt has factories in several European countries and the US, and its company reported that gains are consistently growing.
3. NVR Inc. (NVR)
NVR isn’t a name one would expect to be third on the list of the companies with the highest share price. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, the company operates in the construction industry, building homes across the US. Besides, NVR is also a mortgage company that outperforms many mortgage banking competitors. It owns several subsidiaries through which it operates in 35 metropolitan areas across 15 states. According to statistics, the company has built over 510,000 properties for its clients since it was founded.
As you can see, while still pretty high, NVR’s most recent closing price isn’t in the hundreds-of-thousands range as those of Berkshire Hathaway and Lindt. One of the reasons is that the company doesn’t split its shares. As a result, the original shares it issued two decades ago were at a way lower price and, over time, have grown a lot, as the most recent closing share price proves.
The NVR stock price can serve as a benchmark for the health of the US construction sector since the company is one of its engines.
4. Seaboard Corporation (SEB)
The Seaboard Corporation stock is listed on AMEX, and their offers range from premium pork products, ocean transportation and commodity trading to diesel engine production, jalapeno pepper and biofuels.
5. Booking Holdings Inc. (BKNG)
The company is the world’s leading online travel and related services provider. Most of you are familiar with its headline service – Booking.com. However, the group’s portfolio has 14 other services, including price aggregators and search engine businesses like Priceline.com, Kayak.com, Rentalcars.com, and Cheapflights, to name a few.
Booking Holdings was founded in 1997 under the name Priceline.com and currently has over 20,000 employees with offices in over 200 countries.
6. Autozone Inc. (AZO)
Autozone is among the leading aftermarket automotive parts retailers globally and the largest in the US. Its product range covers everything from auto parts and interior and exterior accessories to all kinds of tools, chemicals and oils for cars and trucks. Autozone also provides a sales program with commercial credit and delivery of parts and sells automotive diagnostic systems.
The company began operation in 1979 with a single store named Auto Shack in Arkansas. Over time, it built a network of over 6,400 stores across the US, Canada and Latin America. Today, Autozone is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, with more than 87,000 workers globally.
Its stock started trading on the NYSE in 1991 at just $27.50 per share. Today, with a share price of over $2,000, it is among the highest-priced stocks and consistently records growing net income.
7. Chipotle Mexican Grill (CMG)
Chipotle is a US fast food casual restaurant chain with a global presence. It has made a name for itself through its bowls, tacos and burritos, made in front of the customer.
The company was founded in 1993. Since then, it has risen above most of its fast casual dining competitors. Due to this, the company has long been able to attract small investors and big institutions looking to expand their stock holdings with a blue chip fast food company. In 1998, when Chipotle already had 16 restaurants, McDonald’s Corporation made a massive investment in the company’s shares. In 2006, when Chipotle had already grown to over 500 locations, McDonald’s divested.
Chipotle’s unique model is the blend between the service, typical for fast food restaurants and high-quality food based on natural products and animal meat.
Today, the chain has over 3,000 restaurants and close to 100,000 employees. Together, they serve several million active customers. In 2018, it moved its headquarters from Denver to Newport Beach, California.
8. White Mountains Insurance Group (WTM)
White Mountains Insurance Group is the only financial services firm making the list of the top 10 most expensive stocks.
The company was founded in 1985 and operated as a diversified insurance and related financial services holding company. It owns and manages various businesses intending to grow them, setting the foundation for long-term value creation.
Today, the mutual insurance company operates from its headquarters in Hamilton, Bermuda, but also has offices in Boston, Massachusetts, Hanover, New Hampshire and Guilford, Connecticut.
9. Texas Pacific Land Corp (TPL)
Texas Pacific Land Corp is primarily active in land & resource management and water services & operations, making money from land sales, oil and gas royalties, and interest. How can a company make that much money by selling land? TPL has over 3,600 km2 in 20 countries within Texas, which makes it one of the largest private landowners in the state.
Texas Pacific Land Corp never reported any dept, has healthy financials and an immense cash balance and runs its business with less than 100 employees, which is remarkable.
10. Mettler-Toledo International Inc. (MTD)
Mettler-Toledo produces precision analytical and inspection instruments and provides services for various applications, including research and development, diagnostics, quality control, logistics and retail. Today, it is the largest provider of weighing instruments for laboratory, industrial and food applications.
The company was founded in 1945, headquartered in Switzerland, and incorporated in the US. Its manufacturing facilities are located in the US, Germany, UK, Switzerland and China. The company operates worldwide, with 70% of its profits coming from Europe and the Americas, with the rest 30% originating in Asia.
The company’s main business is that successful due to its leadership in a niche industry, holding a significant share of the global market for precision instruments.
Conclusion
Now that you have seen the 10 most expensive stocks worldwide, did you expect to see those companies listed? I was kind of surprised during the research since not every of those companies goes over the ticker of the best performing stocks when you focus on day trading.
Interestingly wise, some companies seem to focus on keeping the price per share relatively high, such as Berkshire Hathaway, while other companies like Apple and Amazon make one stock split after the other to make investing in their shares more attractive to private investors.
While it might make you feel like a king having those 10 stocks in your portfolio, it does not mean that they perform the best since a high price by itself does not mean that much.
Comparison Table
| Company | Stock Symbol | Price per Share |
|---|---|---|
| Berkshire Hathaway Inc. | BRK.A | $521,620 |
| Lindt & Sprüngli AG | COCXF | €109,600 |
| NVR Inc. | NVR | $6,063 |
| Seaboard Corp. | SEB | $3,592 |
| Autozone Inc. | AZO | $2,469 |
| Texas Pacific Land Corp. | TPL | $1,348 |
| Booking Holdings Inc. | BKNG | $2,636 |
| Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. | CMG | $2,077 |
| White Mountains Insurance Group | WTM | $1,398 |
| Mettler-Toledo International Inc. | MTD | $1,269 |
Price per share as of July 7, 2023.
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