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Valve is not publicly traded at this time. However, there are still ways for investors to gain indirect exposure.
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If you’re one of the 2.5 billion global gamers, Valve needs no introduction.
Since the launch of “Half-Life” in 1998, Valve has become a behemoth in the PC gaming industry.
Beyond Valve’s portfolio of famous first-person shooter franchises, it operates the sizzling Steam gaming platform and manufactures reality-expanding hardware.
Since Valve is so successful in the gaming industry, many investors are itching to own a slice of this company.
Curious about how to buy Valve stock? Check out the investment strategies below…
Valve: The Basics
In 1996, Gabe Newell and Mike Harrington left their jobs at Microsoft to create a new PC gaming company called Valve.
After a few years of development, the duo released their first game, “Half-Life,” in 1998.
It didn’t take long for the international gaming community to go crazy for this first-person shooter … It remains one of the most critically-acclaimed games in history.
Harrington left Valve shortly after the “Half-Life” release, but Newell stayed on as the head of the company.
Under Newell’s leadership, Valve Corporation released dozens of other successful titles, including:
- Half-Life 2
- Half-Life: Alyx
- Dota Underlords
- Dota 2
- Portal
- Portal 2
- Team Fortress
Besides developing games, Valve Corporation is best known for its successful third-party gaming distribution system called Steam.
Recent reports suggest 132 million monthly active gamers are now glued to Steam’s games, especially the successful “Counter Strike: Global Offensive.”
Although Valve Corporation’s financials are private, some analysts estimate Steam brings in between $8 – $10 billion annually, making it the most significant revenue generator.
As if that wasn’t enough, Valve Corporation manufactures and designs video game hardware, including HTC’s Vive VR headsets.
Many industry experts believe the Bellevue-based Valve Corporation has a valuation of at least $7 billion.
Can You Buy Valve Stock? Is Valve Publicly Traded?
No, you can’t buy Valve stock.
Valve Corporation is still a private company, and there’s no indication the company has any interest in hitting the open market.
In fact, some interviews with Valve employees suggest the company is content to remain off the stock market.
As long as this remains the case, there’s no way for investors to “play” Valve stock.
How to Buy Valve as a Retail Investor
You can’t buy Valve stock as a retail investor.
However, even though Valve Corporation isn’t a public company, there are ways to “level up” your portfolio with PC gaming companies.
Keep reading to figure out ways to add gaming to your investment strategy.
Who Owns Valve?
Since Valve Corporation is a private company, we don’t know the nitty-gritty of who owns the bulk of this company.
That being said, most experts guesstimate Gabe Newell has the majority stake in the company.
For instance, Forbes claims Gabe Newell has at least one-quarter of Valve’s stock.
It’s also likely co-founder Mike Harrington has significant ownership rights.
Valve Corporation employees and executives also likely hold many shares in this company.
Does Gabe Newell Own Valve?
As Valve’s co-founder and CEO, Gabe Newell likely owns a significant amount of Valve Corporation.
Since Valve Corporation is still private, they don’t have to release financial details to the public.
However, it’s safe to bet Newell has the most significant stake in Valve Corporation.
How to Invest in Valve Stock as a Retail Investor
There’s no way to directly buy Valve stock as a retail investor.
However, there are alternative investment options, such as competing companies involved in the video game industry
Consider a few ideas below to get exposure to the red-hot gaming sector.
Note: This article does not provide investment advice. The stocks listed should not be taken as recommendations. Your investments are solely your decisions.
Since both of Valve’s co-founders were Microsoft employees, it makes sense to include Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) as an alternative stock pick.
Not only does Microsoft have a direct connection to Valve’s history, but it’s also involved in many of the same industries as Valve.
With its Xbox gaming console, investment in Activision-Blizzard, and virtual reality products, Microsoft is worth considering if you’re looking for something similar to Valve.
(Chart courtesy of TradingView)
You could also look into popular video game developers listed on the stock market, including:
- Electronic Arts, Inc. (NASDAQ: EA)
- Take-Two Interactive Software, Inc. (NASDAQ: TTWO)
- Sony Group Corporation (NYSE: SONY)
- Roblox (NYSE: RBLX)
- Sea Limited (NYSE: SE)
Some video game investors also consider adding chip manufacturers to their portfolios.
For instance, Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA), Intel (NASDAQ: INTC), and Advanced Micro Devices (NASDAQ: AMD) have strong reputations for building hardware in gaming devices and PCs.
How to Buy the Valve IPO
Here are the steps on how to buy Valve stock if and when it becomes available:
- Create or login to your brokerage account (if you don’t have one, we recommend eToro)
- Search for Valve
- Select how many shares you want to buy
- Place your order
- Monitor your trade
eToro securities trading is offered by eToro USA Securities, Inc. (“the BD”), member of FINRA and SIPC. Cryptocurrency is offered by eToro USA LLC (“the MSB”) (NMLS: 1769299) and is not FDIC or SIPC insured. Investing involves risk, and content is provided for educational purposes only, does not imply a recommendation, and is not a guarantee of future performance. https://www.wallstreetzen.com is not an affiliate and may be compensated if you access certain products or services offered by the MSB and/or the BD.
Valve Stock Price Chart
There’s no Valve stock price chart because Valve Corporation isn’t on the public market.
The best way to “track” Valve’s hypothetical stock price is to monitor the broader video game sector.
For instance, if video game-related stocks like Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT), EA (NASDAQ: EA), and Take-Two Interactive (NASDAQ: TTWO) are rallying, chances are Valve’s stock price would do well.
(Chart courtesy of TradingView)
However, it’s impossible to know Valve’s stock price unless it goes IPO.
FAQs:
How to buy Valve stock?
You can't buy Valve stock because it's not a publicly traded company.
How much is Valve stock?
There's no way to access Valve's stock price — it's a private company and has no ticker.
What is the Valve stock symbol?
There's no Valve stock symbol because this company isn't on the public market.
Who owns Valve stock?
Gabe Newell likely holds the largest amount of Valve stock since he's the co-founder and CEO. However, Valve's financial details are private, so we can only speculate on who owns the most shares.
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