Why is the cost price much higher than the purchase price after I buy stocks?

The cost price is not only the purchase price, but also includes transaction fees. Taking the US stock market as an example, the minimum transaction fee for each transaction is $2.98. If your transaction amount is small or the number of purchases is small, the transaction fee will significantly increase the cost price. For example, if you buy one share of Santander Bank stock priced at $4.64 and add a $2.98 transaction fee, your cost price per share will become $7.62. Therefore, it is recommended that you choose a larger quantity or high-priced stock when trading, so that the relative transaction cost will be diluted and the impact of the cost price will be reduced.