PetroChina briefly became the first company valued at more than $1 trillion on its 2007 stock-market debut.
PetroChina’s A shares began trading in Shanghai on November 5, 2007. The shares surged on their first day, giving the company a market capitalization above $1 trillion at the session’s peak.
The valuation did not remain above that level for long. PetroChina’s share price later fell, and its total market value declined substantially from the debut-day high. This makes the event a historical market-cap moment rather than evidence that the company permanently held the world’s top ranking.
PetroChina is the publicly listed arm of China National Petroleum Corporation, one of China’s major state-owned energy groups. The company is distinct from Sinopec, another large Chinese oil and petrochemical enterprise.