Microsoft Surpasses Apple as United States' Most Valuable Company

Following the latest close of the trading session, MSFT (Microsoft Corporation) has overtaken AAPL (Apple Inc.) to become the most valuable publicly traded company in the United States. This marks a significant milestone in the ongoing rivalry between the two technology giants.

Microsoft's Ascent

MSFT, a prominent American multinational technology company, has a diverse portfolio of products and services. Renowned for its Microsoft Windows operating systems, Microsoft Office suite, and Internet Explorer and Edge web browsers, the corporation has also made a name in hardware with its Xbox video game consoles and the Microsoft Surface range of touchscreen PCs. Microsoft's notable achievement as the world's largest software maker by revenue was reported in 2016, and it also featured at No. 21 on the 2020 Fortune 500 list for the largest U.S. corporations based on total revenue.

The Challenge From Apple

Despite being overtaken in current valuations, AAPL, or Apple Inc., has been a formidable rival and a dominant tech entity globally. Apple's reach extends across consumer electronics, computer software, and online services. With the title of the world's largest technology company by revenue in 2020 and a history of being the most valuable company, Apple also stands as a leading PC vendor and smartphone manufacturer. It joins MSFT, Amazon, Google, and Facebook as one of the quintessential Big Five American information technology companies.

Investment Implications

Investors and market analysts closely watch the performance of MSFT and AAPL due to their significant impact on market indices and exchange-traded funds (ETFs) focused on technology and growth stocks. The frequent shifts in market capitalization leadership between these companies are seen as indicators of market trends and technology sector health.

Microsoft, Apple, MarketCap