Nvidia has now overtaken Apple in market cap, making it the second-most valuable public company behind Microsoft making it the third company ever to hit the 3 trillion market cap mark. This significant milestone was reached on Wednesday, with Nvidia’s market value soaring past $3 trillion after a 5% rise in its share price.
At the close of the market, Nvidia’s value stood at $3.019 trillion, while Apple’s was at $2.99 trillion. Microsoft remains the most valuable publicly traded company, with a market cap of $3.15 trillion.
Nvidia’s shares have surged over 24% since it reported its first-quarter earnings in May, continuing a remarkable upward trend that began last year. The company dominates the AI chip market for data centres, holding an estimated 80% market share. This sector is drawing billions of dollars in investments from major cloud service providers.
The company’s data centre revenue, which includes its GPU sales, jumped 427% from the previous year, reaching $22.6 billion and accounting for 86% of Nvidia’s total sales. This explosive growth has reassured investors that Nvidia’s success in selling to large cloud companies can be sustained.
In contrast, Apple’s shares have only increased by about 5% this year. The tech giant is experiencing a slowdown in sales growth, with a 4% drop in overall sales and a 10% decline in iPhone sales reported in its latest quarterly earnings. Apple is also grappling with strategic challenges, including fluctuating demand in China, manufacturing issues, and mixed reactions to its new virtual reality headset, the Vision Pro.
Apple, which was the first company to reach both the $1 trillion and $2 trillion market cap milestones, long held the title of the most valuable U.S. company until it was overtaken by Microsoft earlier this year. Microsoft, like Nvidia, has benefited significantly from the burgeoning demand for AI infrastructure.
Founded in 1991, Nvidia initially focused on the gaming market, selling hardware for 3D computer games. In recent years, it expanded into producing cryptocurrency mining chips and cloud subscription services. Nvidia’s stock has been more volatile compared to Apple’s, reflecting its rapid evolution and expansion into new markets.
Nvidia’s shares have seen a meteoric rise, increasing by more than 3,290% over the past five years. In May, the company announced a 10-for-1 stock split, further fuelling investor interest.
Nvidia’s ascension to surpass Apple in market cap highlights the growing importance of artificial intelligence and the company’s pivotal role in this technological wave. As Nvidia continues to innovate and expand its AI capabilities, it remains a key player to watch in the ever-evolving tech landscape. Meanwhile, Apple faces significant hurdles as it navigates a more challenging market environment, striving to regain its growth momentum.