Microsoft’s stock price surged on Friday January 12th 2024, briefly pushing the software giant’s market valuation above Apple’s and making Microsoft the world’s most valuable publicly traded company. However, Apple regained the lead by the end of trading. This back-and-forth highlights the intensifying competition between two of the world’s largest tech giants.
Lead Up to Microsoft’s Rise
Microsoft’s rise to potentially overtake Apple did not happen overnight. Over the past several years, Microsoft has focused heavily on cloud computing with its Azure platform, as well as subscription-based services like Office 365. Meanwhile, Apple has faced slowing iPhone sales recently, causing its stock gains to lag.
Additionally, Microsoft has invested heavily in artificial intelligence, including a $10 billion investment in OpenAI last year. This has positioned Microsoft to take advantage of the booming interest in AI software and applications.
Just a week ago, Microsoft announced new AI features for its Bing search engine and Edge browser to compete with Google and ChatGPT. This created excitement among investors about Microsoft’s future growth prospects in AI.
Microsoft Stock Hits Record High
On January 12th, Microsoft shares surged over 4% to an all-time record closing high of $258.06 per share. This gave Microsoft a market capitalization of $1.92 trillion, just above Apple’s $1.91 trillion valuation at market close.
| Company | Jan 12 Closing Stock Price | Shares Outstanding | Market Cap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Microsoft | $258.06 | 7.45 billion | $1.92 trillion |
| Apple | $131.88 | 16.19 billion | $1.91 trillion |
Data sources: Yahoo Finance, companiesmarketcap.com
Microsoft reaching this milestone shows the company’s resilience despite economic instability and recessionary fears in 2023. Under CEO Satya Nadella, Microsoft has more than tripled its market cap since 2014 on strong execution and cloud leadership.
Meanwhile, Apple’s stock dipped 1.3% on the day. Concerns over softening consumer demand for iPhones and other Apple products likely contributed to the drop. This created the opening for Microsoft to seize the top valuation spot, if only briefly.
Expert Commentary on Microsoft vs. Apple
Tech industry analysts have taken notice of Microsoft’s big achievement, even if temporary. Daniel Ives, a financial analyst with Wedbush Securities, stated:
“It really speaks to the renaissance of growth that Microsoft is seeing mainly being driven by its cloud business and the strategic bet it made with CEO Satya Nadella on cloud about a decade ago.”
Meanwhile, Epic Games CEO Tim Sweeney, whose company makes the popular Fortnite game, tweeted his praise of Microsoft:
“Congratulations to Microsoft on this well-deserved honor! Microsoft is the tech industry leader most empowering developers today.”
This shows respect for Microsoft coming from a company that has clashed with Apple over app store policies.
Other analysts point out Microsoft’s savvy investments positioning itself for future growth. An equity research analyst at Oppenheimer, Timothy Horan, noted:
“Microsoft has helped push software into the cloud the last 15 years, is a leader in AI/machine learning and made some incredibly savvy investments in gaming and telehealth.”
So while Microsoft may not hold the most valuable crown for long, its bold bets on the future continue paying off.
The Road Ahead for Microsoft and Apple
Looking forward, Microsoft appears positioned for strong growth as organizations accelerate their digital transformations and AI projects in the years ahead. However, Apple still holds commanding leads in smartphones, tablets, and wearables. And it reportedly has ambitions to launch its own search engine and augmented reality headset soon to reduce reliance on the iPhone.
As Barron’s puts it, this “back and forth” between Microsoft and Apple for the most valuable company title could continue. Both tech giants have powerful competitive advantages, vast resources, and a desire to lead the next waves of computing innovation.
Still, Microsoft crossing over Apple, if temporarily, signals a shift in market sentiments. Investors see Microsoft gaining momentum in cloud, internet services, AI, and other emerging high-growth markets. While Apple contends with a maturing smartphone industry and uneven demand.
For now, based on their strong fourth quarter earnings, both Microsoft and Apple appear poised to remain highly profitable enterprises. But Microsoft may have the upper hand going forward if it can leverage AI and cloud to expand its reach. Although Apple has defied naysayers before about its growth prospects.
Ultimately, time will tell whether Microsoft can sustain an advantage over Apple in market value and future vision. But for one brief moment in time on January 12th, 2024, Microsoft could claim the title of the world’s most valuable public company. An achievement years in the making since Satya Nadella took over the software icon. And proof that giants can reinvent themselves and find new life in technology’s ever-evolving landscape.
To err is human, but AI does it too. Whilst factual data is used in the production of these articles, the content is written entirely by AI. Double check any facts you intend to rely on with another source.
