They do, but is the stock an actual tangible good? Companies with identical financials are not valued the same way. Look at a company like Tesla, its stock is pure speculation. I cannot physically hold my stock other than a piece of paper maybe that says I hold it. I cannot really do anything with it except hope to sell it to someone else for more money. It does not really grant me ownership If I tried to walk into an amazon warehouse screaming I an owner, I would be locked up and committed.