From stocks to banks: Finance facts that will leave you awestruck

What if we told you there’s a stock so pricey that buying just one share could cost you more than a luxury house? Or that a bank founded before America’s independence is still up and running? Welcome to the world of finance, where numbers tell fascinating tales.

Berkshire Hathaway: The world’s most expensive stock

With a staggering price tag of over $680,000 (₹ 5.78 crore) per share, it’s the Rolls-Royce of the stock market. Warren Buffett, often called the Oracle of Omaha, has deliberately avoided splitting the stock to maintain its exclusivity and attract only long-term, serious investors. Cut to 2024, Berkshire also became the first non-tech US company to achieve a market cap of $1 trillion. Berkshire holds an enormous amount of cash, almost 3x of India’s combined wealth under management planning across PMS, MF, and AIF.

Berkshire Hathway’s market cap has grown by almost 6x in the last 15 years with CAGR returns of 15%.

So, how long would it take you to save up and buy just one stock?

JPMorgan’s AUM almost equal to India’s GDP

As of June 30, 2024, JPMorgan Chase manages assets worth $3.3 trillion. To put this into perspective, India’s GDP stands at approximately $3.5 trillion, making JPMorgan’s AUM almost equal to the economic output of one of the world’s fastest-growing economies in the world. Interestingly, the world’s largest asset manager, Blackrock, has AUM of $10 trillion, which is almost three times India’s GDP.

The world’s first bank still exists

World’s first bank Banca Monte dei Paschi di Siena, established in 1472 in the picturesque region of Tuscany, Italy, holds the title of the world’s oldest bank still in operation. Founded to provide loans to "needy or miserable persons," the bank initially functioned as a charitable institution. Over centuries, it became a cornerstone of Italy’s financial system. Despite recent struggles, including a bailout during the European debt crisis, the bank’s resilience is extraordinary.

Here is the list of some of the oldest banks which are still operational:

Source: News articles

42% of women working in India’s factories reside in Tamil Nadu

Did you know that according to the Annual Survey of Industries (2021-22), of the 14.9 lakh registered women workers across India, 6.3 lakh were registered in Tamil Nadu. With an educated and skilled workforce, Tamil Nadu has received investments in automobiles, electronics, and even footwear in recent years.

One of the standout initiatives is Ola’s Future Factory in Krishnagiri, the world’s largest electric scooter manufacturing facility, which employs an all-women workforce of over 10,000 employees. Similarly, Tata Electronics has a women-centric workforce strategy in its Tamil Nadu facilities, focusing on high-tech manufacturing.

Beyond these giants, the textile and garment sectors—a backbone of Tamil Nadu’s economy—employ millions of women in roles ranging from spinning to stitching. The state’s strong educational infrastructure and supportive policies have created an environment where women thrive.

Fun facts:

• Tamil Nadu also boasts some of the highest female literacy rates in India, empowering women to take up skilled roles in emerging industries

• Approximately 70% of all women working in industries are employed in the southern states of Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, and Kerala.

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