Apple Joins Exclusive $4 Trillion Market Value Club

Apple achieved a historic milestone on Tuesday by becoming the third company ever to reach a $4 trillion market capitalization. The tech giant’s stock soared to approximately $270 in early trading, elevating its market value above $4 trillion for the first time. This exclusive achievement follows similar milestones reached by Nvidia in July and Microsoft later that month.

Strong iPhone 17 Sales Drive Market Rally

The remarkable stock surge has been fueled by exceptional sales performance of Apple’s newly launched iPhone 17. According to Counterpoint Research, iPhone 17 sales exceeded iPhone 16 sales by 14% during the first 10 days following launch across both the U.S. and China—Apple’s two largest markets. The iPhone 17 Pro Max has gained significant traction with carriers including T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T offering promotional deals to enhance affordability. China has proven particularly receptive, with iPhone 17 unit sales nearly doubling compared to iPhone 16 performance at the same period in 2024.

AI Skepticism Amid Record Achievement

Despite this unprecedented market cap milestone, Apple’s year-to-date stock gains of approximately 10% lag behind competitors Nvidia (40%) and Microsoft (29%). Analysts attribute the cautious investor sentiment to concerns about Apple’s position in the artificial intelligence race. While Nvidia dominates as a major AI chip supplier and Microsoft leads as a prominent AI investor, Apple has faced questions regarding its AI strategy development.

Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives called the achievement a “watershed moment” for Apple, describing the company as “the best consumer franchise in the world.” Apple will report fourth-quarter earnings on Thursday after market close for the period ending September 30.