How much is one share of US stocks? The trading confusion between one lot vs. one share

What You Must Know Before Buying Stocks: The Secrets of Trading Units

Many novice investors in the stock market encounter the same confusion—why does buying and selling in Taiwan often require tens of thousands of dollars, while in the US it only takes a few thousand? The key difference lies in the completely different trading units of the two markets.

Taiwan stocks are traded in “lots,” with 1 lot equal to 1000 shares; US stocks are traded per “share.” This seemingly simple difference directly determines the entry barrier for investors.

How to Read Stock Prices?

First, understand a basic concept: the stock price is the transaction price of one share, representing the amount an investor pays to buy or sell a single share, fluctuating in real-time based on the latest transaction prices between buyers and sellers.

Stock face value and stock price are two different things. For example, in Taiwan, most listed companies have a face value of NT$10, which is just a static number recording the original shareholder’s capital contribution. The stock price, however, is determined by the company’s profitability and investor expectations and constantly changes.

For instance, TSMC (2330.TW) has had a stock price fluctuating around NT$561, while its US-listed stock (TSM) is about US$95. Both figures represent the price of one share at that time, with units in New Taiwan Dollars and US Dollars respectively.

How to see how much one share costs

For investors, viewing the price of one share is very simple—just check the current market price.

Take Tesla (TSLA) as an example: at the beginning of 2023, one share was about US$101, and by August, it had risen to US$254. The same US stock increased by over 150% in just 7 months.

The price of one US share depends entirely on real-time market conditions and can change every second during trading hours. The same applies to Taiwan stocks; for example, if Taiwan Cement (1101.TW) is trading at NT$32.10 at a certain moment, that means one share costs NT$32.10.

How Much Does One Lot of Stock Cost?

In Taiwan, “one lot” refers specifically to 1000 shares. In other words, buying one lot of stock means purchasing 1000 shares simultaneously.

Total cost of one lot = stock price × 1000

Suppose TSMC’s stock price is NT$561; then, buying one lot of TSMC costs: 561 × 1000 = NT$561,000 (about NT$560,000)

This amount is indeed a significant sum for ordinary retail investors. Therefore, the Taiwan stock market offers two trading modes: “block trading” (full lots) and “odd lots” (less than a full lot):

• Full lot trading: minimum of one lot (1000 shares), trading hours are 9:00-13:30 during the day and 14:00-14:30 after hours, with high liquidity but higher capital requirements.
• Odd lot trading: can buy or sell 1~999 shares, with fixed matching periods during and after trading hours, lower capital threshold but less liquidity.

Core Differences Between US and Taiwan Stocks

Differences in trading units directly impact investment costs. The same TSMC stock, purchased as a full lot in Taiwan, costs NT$560,000+, but in the US market, it only costs about US$95 (roughly NT$3,000), making the entry cost over 100 times cheaper.

Besides trading units, there are other important differences between the two markets:

What Drives Stock Price Changes?

After understanding how much one US share or one lot of Taiwan stock costs, investors also need to understand the factors that drive price movements:

Company fundamentals are the primary factor— including financial reports, profitability, market outlook, etc. High-quality companies attract more investors, pushing up stock prices.

Macroeconomic environment also has a profound impact—interest rates, exchange rates, GDP growth rates, and other economic indicators influence overall market performance.

Market sentiment fluctuations are equally critical—negative news, geopolitical risks, or global emergencies (like pandemics) can trigger panic among investors, leading to stock market declines.

Understanding these factors helps better assess stock value and make wise investment decisions.