If you need to either own or rent 12 shares of a tech company so you have somewhere to sleep, and if the value of each tech company stock rises and falls roughl

If you need to either own or rent 12 shares of a tech company so you have somewhere to sleep, and if the value of each tech company stock rises and falls roughly in line with that of other tech companies in the region, then the comparison is fair. It isn't about limiting yourself solely to the utility value, but about the difficulty in separating the utility from the investment. You can sell your shares for market value at any time, and use the proceeds for whatever you want. If you sell your only home, you usually then need to spend money on replacing it, whether in the form of rent, mortgage, or using the proceeds to buy outright.