Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple to become the world’s most valuable company again (2024)

FAQs

Microsoft briefly overtakes Apple to become the world’s most valuable company again? ›

Microsoft has briefly taken the lead over Apple as the most valuable company a handful of times since 2018, including in 2021 when concerns about COVID-driven supply chain shortages hit the iPhone maker's stock price.

Apple briefly became the world's most valuable company again, fueled by artificial intelligence enthusiasm. The company edged out Microsoft in Wednesday morning trading, reaching a market cap of $3.244 trillion, but it didn't hold until the close.

June 12 (Reuters) - Apple once again became the world's most valuable company on Wednesday, dethroning Microsoft from the top spot, as the iPhone maker pushed ahead in a race to dominate artificial intelligence technology.

Apple Cultivated Recurring Revenue

Nobody is better at this than Apple. It started in 2001 with iTunes, a free music player with a built-in store. Ever since, Apple has been raking in hundreds of millions of dollars a year from iTunes sales of music, movies, and books. In 2008, Apple introduced the App Store.

Apple's $3.33 trillion market capitalization Wednesday narrowly outranked Microsoft's $3.26 trillion. The passing of the torch came as Apple stock gained 5% in Wednesday trading, continuing its two-year-best 7% rally Wednesday.

Apple lost all claims in the Microsoft suit except for the ruling that the trash can icon and folder icons from Hewlett-Packard's NewWave windows application were infringing.

Apple is worth a whopping $540 billion less than Microsoft, a gap the size of Tesla's market value. The iPhone maker's shares are down 11% this year, while the software giant's are up 14%. Apple is facing growth concerns and regulatory fights, while Microsoft is riding high on AI buzz.

In August 1997, Microsoft purchased $150 million of non-voting Apple stock. Additionally, Microsoft agreed to continue developing software such as Microsoft Office for the Mac platform for at least 5 years. Microsoft's infusion of cash helped stabilize Apple's finances.

Microsoft overtook Apple to become the world's most valuable publicly traded company for the first time in more than two years, as worries over smartphone demand have weighed on the iPhone-maker's stock in recent weeks.

So, what ever happened to Microsoft's $150 million worth of Apple shares? Well, as of the terms of the deal, Microsoft had to hold on to the shares for at least three years. Then, in 2002, it started selling its Apple stock again, and got rid of its entire stake by the middle of 2003.

Is Microsoft still the most valuable company? ›

Nvidia on Tuesday vaulted past Microsoft to become the most valuable publicly listed company in the world, highlighting its place at the forefront of Big Tech.

Nvidia has surpassed tech giants Apple and Microsoft to become the world's most valuable company, a milestone driven by an unprecedented surge in its shares. Shares of Nvidia climbed around 3.5% on Tuesday, pushing its market value to about $3.34 trillion.

Apple is the largest company in the world, with a market cap of $3.48 trillion.

Microsoft finished the day at $2.89 trillion, higher than Apple's $2.87 trillion, according to Bloomberg. The change is part of a reordering of the stock market that was set in motion by the advent of generative artificial intelligence.

Here's what to know. What Happened: Gates stepped down as the CEO of Microsoft in 2000 and later left the board of directors in 2020. The co-founder of the software giant remains a large shareholder in the company through his own holdings and the stock holdings of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation Trust.

Recognizing the potential for a win-win scenario, Microsoft agreed to invest a substantial $150 million in Apple, acquiring non-voting shares.

Nvidia has surpassed tech giants Apple and Microsoft to become the world's most valuable company, a milestone driven by an unprecedented surge in its shares.

Apple is the largest company in the world, with a market cap of $3.48 trillion. It's followed by Microsoft ($3.10 trillion), Nvidia ($2.94 trillion), Alphabet ($2.03 trillion), and Amazon ($1.87 trillion).

Apple (AAPL) closed Thursday with a market capitalization that surpassed Microsoft's (MSFT) for the first time since January, making it the most valuable US company. Yahoo Finance's Seana Smith and Brad Smith report more on the story and some of the tailwinds for the tech giant.