In one of the clearest signs yet of the renaissance that’s finally putting a close to The Dark Age of Personal Computing, Apple Inc. (AAPL) has overtaken Microsoft (MSFT) to become the second-most-valuable U.S. company.
Microsoft spent most of the trading day fending off Apple relentless assault — sometimes by excruciatingly small amounts — but, at approximately 2:15pm EDT, shares of Apple rose $4.35, or 1.78%, to $249.57, putting Apple’s market value at $227.10 billion and finally overtaking Microsoft’s which declined $0.20, or 0.77%, to 25.87, putting their market cap at $226.72 billion.
Watching it happen in real-time and then savoring the replay on 15-minute delay was doubly satisfying!
What I can’t figure out is why he (Steve Jobs) is even trying (to be the CEO of Apple)? He knows he can’t win. – Bill Gates, June 1998
Expect the companies to trade positions back and forth in the near term, but Apple should put the derivative Microsoft in their rearview mirror soon enough.
As per NYSE, the top five U.S. publicly-traded companies, based on full market values, are:
1. Exxon Mobil (XOM) – $283.06B
2. Apple (AAPL) – $227.10B
3. Microsoft (MSFT) – $226.72B
4. Wal-Mart (WMT) – $189.57B
5. Berkshire hathaway (BRKA) – $175.76B
MacDailyNews Take: Pop the corks! Congrats, Apple, on a job very, very, very well done!
One more thing… Boom!
Wooooooooooooot’!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
WooooHoooo
Holy Rusted Metal Batman!
Ummmm, WOW! I did not expect this to happen until mid summer at the earliest. My Apple stock is surpassing my wildest expectations.
Thanks Apple and Steve Jobs!
Watch out XOM – here we come…
You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.
It was fun watching this nerve-wrecking ride. Celebrate good times, come on!
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Somebody please check the temperature in hell.
Cheers!
There goes my working day!
Party!
Told ya it was gonna happen today! The party’s at my house. Free beer.
This news will be a great opening statement for Steve on June 7th. WWDC better than the dell memo. Any thoughts on what Jobs will say?
Prestige des Sacres … that is the name of my Champagne bottle I’m sharing with my wife – who thinks I’m crazy by the way
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Wooooooooooooooot !!!!!
BIG GRATS APPLE !!!
Time for that bottle of champagne!
Yipee-i-o-ti-yay!!!
Big congrats to….me. The consumer in buying Apple products, and to me, the investor, and my (infinitesimal) ownership interest. I have chosen….wisely.
Did someone get Steve Ballmer’s reaction on video? Dancing Monkey 2. “The Melt Down”
Many, many, many, are clueless of this fact and are and will be surprised…if you wanna jump ship…here’s your liferaft before it’s too late.
YES!
Congratulations Apple!
Champange open and down the hatch…..Hooooorayyyy congrats to Apple!
And for those who had doubt…… You know who you are it’s time to join the party cause apple will continue to grow and grow !
WooooooooHoooooooo! Apple time baby!!!!!!!
So, computer dark ages officially over or what?
Congratulations to Apple, Steve Jobs and all their corporate sources!
SWEET. I’m been watching that valuation race for two years. Apple passed Microsoft about a year faster than I ever dreamed they would.
What a great moment.
The rumbling sound you hear in the distance is not thunder, just chairs crashing in Redmond.
@nicu
I prefer a simple blanc de blanc, myself. Never tasted that champagne, though. Heck, it’s hot out, perhaps a nice gin and tonic. Work stinks when you want a nice drink. Thanks a lot, Nicu!
I’m sitting on Vancouver Island about 150 miles from Redmond, thought I just saw a chair fly overhead.