We have all encountered the familiar sight of a traditional weighing scale at a roadside vegetable vendor or fruit shop. At one end of the scale, weights are gradually added until the beam balances, indicating that the fruits, vegetables, or any other object being weighed matches the exact weight on the other side. This everyday scene got me thinking. What if we could apply the same principle to the stock market? What if we could weigh the price of the highest-priced stock in India, along with the stocks that make up the Nifty 50?
MRF – The highest-priced stock in India
Which is the highest-priced (costliest) actively traded stock in India? No prizes for guessing, it’s MRF Ltd. MRF brand has become synonymous with tyres. The company is engaged in manufacturing rubber products such as tyres, tubes, flaps, and tread rubber.
MRF is a name that resonates beyond the stock market. Iconic cricketers like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli, Shubman Gill, Brian Lara, and AB de Villiers endorsing MRF bats.
MRF share price hits 52-week high, here’s why
On September 23, MRF’s share price hit a fresh 52-week high of Rs 1,56,400 per share on NSE.
Two key factors contributed to this surge: the significant increase in auto sales following the GST cuts, and a recent development at the company’s Tiruvottiyur manufacturing plant in Chennai.
The latter saw some employees go on strike regarding issues like the advance payment of annual insurance premiums and the hiring of trainees under various government schemes.
MRF termed the strike an “illegal” action and noted in an exchange filing that the plant’s operations were partly continuing with the help of workers not involved in the protest. The company said it is actively working to restore normalcy at the plant as soon as possible.
One share of MRF can buy you the entire Nifty 50 stock universe
As of 2:15 PM on September 25, 2025, a single share of MRF is trading at Rs 1,50,660 on the NSE. To put this into perspective, when you compare it with the combined price of 1 share of all the constituents of the Nifty 50, MRF still stands higher.
The total price of 1 share each of all Nifty 50 stocks is Rs 1,21,004, which includes blue-chip giants like Reliance Industries, HDFC Bank, ICICI Bank, Maruti Suzuki India, and many others.
MRF’s market cap vs Nifty 50 stocks’ market cap
However, despite its high stock price, MRF’s market capitalisation stands at just over Rs 64,000 crore, which is significantly lower than all the Nifty 50 stocks, barring one. Among the Nifty 50 constituents, only IndusInd Bank, with a market cap of Rs 57,807 crore, has a lower market cap than MRF. Other stocks in the Nifty 50 have market caps exceeding Rs 1 lakh crore.
To clarify, market capitalisation refers to the total value of a company’s shares in the stock market, calculated by multiplying the company’s share price by the number of shares in circulation. In simple terms, it’s a quick way to gauge the size or value of a company.
Why MRF has become the most expensive stock in India: No stock split, no bonus shares
Now, let’s understand how MRF, despite having a relatively low market cap, has become the highest-priced traded stock in the Indian markets.
One of the key reasons for MRF’s status as the most expensive traded stock is its approach to corporate actions. Unlike many companies, which split their stock or issue bonus shares to bring the stock price down to a more psychologically appealing level, MRF has chosen not to take such actions. This has led to a lower number of shares in circulation, currently standing at a paltry 30.53 lakh. Shares in float refer to the number of a company’s outstanding shares available for trading in the open market, excluding those held by insiders or restricted.
MRF share price performance
Over the past decade, MRF’s stock has delivered multibagger returns, with absolute gains of 267.81 per cent, outperforming the Sensex (214.72 per cent) and the BSE Auto index (246.47 per cent). In the past six months alone, MRF has surged by 32.27 per cent, and on a year-to-date basis, it is up by 16.90 per cent.
In essence, owning a single MRF share could give you access to the entire Nifty 50 universe, including some of India’s most prominent companies—from Adani and Ambani to Tata and beyond.
Disclaimer:
The article is for informational purposes only and not investment advice.
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