Berkshire Hathaway Inc. says shareholders have approved splitting the company's Class B shares 50-for-1 as part of the company's $26.3 billion acquisition of Burlington Northern Santa Fe Corp.

The stock split will enable Berkshire to offer even small BNSF shareholders Berkshire stock as part of the acquisition of the nation's second-largest railroad.

The stock split will make Berkshire's Class B stock much more affordable at roughly $67 per share. But the Class A shares, which remain the most expensive U.S. stock at over $100,000, won't be split.