Money is a weird thing when you start looking at the stock market. Most people think about stocks in the double or triple digits—maybe you’re looking at a tech giant trading for $200 or a retail brand at $50. But then there is the world of "prestige" pricing where a single share costs more than a literal house. Honestly, if you've ever wondered what is the most expensive stock, the answer isn't a tech unicorn or some new AI startup. It is a 187-year-old textile-mill-turned-conglomerate run by a guy who famously eats McDonald’s for breakfast.
We are talking about Berkshire Hathaway’s Class A shares (BRK.A). As of mid-January 2026, a single share of this stock will set you back roughly $740,750. You didn't misread that. Three-quarters of a million dollars for one single share. It’s the undisputed heavyweight champion of the financial world, and it has been for decades.
The Most Expensive Stock: Breaking Down the $740,000 Barrier
Why is it so high? Basically, it comes down to a stubborn, brilliant refusal to play by Wall Street’s normal rules. Most companies, once their stock price hits a few hundred dollars, decide to "split." They turn one share into ten, or one into twenty. The value of the company doesn't change, but the price per share drops, making it "accessible" to regular folks.
Warren Buffett, the legendary chairman of Berkshire Hathaway, thinks that's kinda pointless. He has famously resisted splitting the Class A shares since he took over the company in the 1960s. His logic is simple: he wants long-term investors, not speculators who are going to jump in and out of the stock to make a quick buck. By keeping the price astronomical, he ensures that the people buying BRK.A are serious, deep-pocketed, and patient.
The Runners-Up in the High-Price Club
While Berkshire Hathaway is in a league of its own, there are other "expensive" stocks that make a $500 share price look like pocket change.
🔗 Read more: Where Did Dow Close Today: Why the Market is Stalling Near 50,000
- Lindt & Sprüngli (LISN): The Swiss chocolatiers behind those gold-wrapped bunnies have a stock price that is equally premium. Trading on the SIX Swiss Exchange, their registered shares go for about CHF 114,600 (roughly $132,000 USD). It’s one of the few stocks globally that even breathes the same air as Berkshire.
- NVR, Inc. (NVR): This American homebuilder is the "hidden" expensive stock. Unlike the flashy tech names, NVR stays under the radar but trades around $7,561 per share. They’ve avoided splits and used their massive cash flow to buy back their own shares, driving the price per unit higher and higher.
- Seaboard Corporation (SEB): Ever heard of them? Probably not. They do everything from pork processing to ocean transport. Because they have very few shares available to the public, the price stays high—currently sitting around $4,695.
- Booking Holdings (BKNG): The parent company of Booking.com and Priceline. It’s a travel giant that has let its success dictate its price without much interference, landing it at roughly $5,115 per share.
Why Does Price Per Share Even Matter?
Here is the secret: it doesn't. At least, not in the way most people think.
A high stock price doesn't mean a company is "better" or even "more valuable" than a cheaper one. It’s all about the math of Market Capitalization. If Company A has 1,000 shares at $1,000 each, it’s worth $1 million. If Company B has 1,000,000 shares at $1 each, it’s also worth $1 million.
Nvidia, for example, is worth trillions of dollars, but its stock price is a fraction of Berkshire’s because Nvidia has billions of shares outstanding. Berkshire just has... very few. Only about 1.44 million total shares of BRK.A exist. That scarcity, combined with the massive value of the businesses Berkshire owns (like GEICO, Dairy Queen, and BNSF Railway), creates that eye-popping price tag.
Can Regular People Buy Berkshire?
You’re probably thinking, "I don't have $740,000 in my couch cushions." Buffett actually solved this back in 1996. He created Class B shares (BRK.B). These are the "Baby Berkshires." They trade for a much more reasonable price—usually around 1/1500th of the Class A price.
💡 You might also like: Reading a Crude Oil Barrel Price Chart Without Losing Your Mind
Currently, you can grab a piece of the Buffett empire for about $495. You get the same economic interest in the company, just with fewer voting rights. It’s the "Discover" version of the elite Class A stock.
The Strategy Behind the Price
There is a psychological element to being the most expensive stock. It creates a "moat" of prestige. When a company's stock price is higher than the median home price in the U.S., it signals a certain level of stability and "old money" reliability.
Berkshire's 2026 outlook remains robust, with projected revenues near $388 billion. The company sits on a mountain of cash—often exceeding $150 billion—waiting for the right moment to buy more businesses. This "fortress balance sheet" is exactly why investors are willing to pay the price of a small yacht for a single digital entry in their brokerage account.
Investors like the high price because it discourages "volatility." High-frequency trading algorithms and day traders usually stay away from BRK.A because the volume is low and the stakes are high. This leads to a smoother ride for the people who actually own it.
📖 Related: Is US Stock Market Open Tomorrow? What to Know for the MLK Holiday Weekend
Actionable Insights for Your Portfolio
If you are looking to get into high-priced stocks, don't let the "sticker shock" scare you or lure you in. Here is what you should actually do:
- Check the Market Cap, not the price: Always look at the total value of the company. A $5,000 stock can be "cheaper" than a $5 stock if the $5 company is failing and has trillions of shares.
- Use Fractional Shares: Most modern brokerages (like Fidelity or Schwab) let you buy $10 worth of a stock, even if the share price is $5,000. You don't need the full amount to start.
- Understand the "Float": Stocks like Seaboard are expensive because very few shares are traded. This means they can be hard to sell quickly without moving the price.
- Look for "No-Split" Policies: If you want to find the next Berkshire, look for companies with management teams that explicitly state they want to attract long-term shareholders by avoiding splits.
The most expensive stock is a fascinating peek into how the ultra-wealthy move money, but for the rest of us, it's a reminder that value and price are two very different things. Whether it's $740,000 or $7.40, the goal remains the same: find a business that grows and hold on tight.
To take the next step, compare the historical returns of Berkshire Hathaway Class A against the S&P 500 index over the last decade to see if the "no-split" prestige actually translates to market-beating performance for your specific investment goals.