Microsoft became the first publicly traded company to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization after Apple and Amazon, crossing the mark in 2019.
Microsoft passed $1 trillion in April 2019 after reporting strong quarterly results. Investors rewarded growth in cloud computing, especially Azure, along with recurring software subscriptions and enterprise services.
The milestone illustrated Microsoft’s transformation from a company centered on packaged Windows software into a broad cloud and productivity business. Office 365, Azure, LinkedIn, gaming, and other divisions expanded the company’s sources of revenue.
Microsoft had already been one of the world’s most valuable companies during the personal-computer era, but its cloud strategy helped restore rapid growth. Market capitalization is based on shares outstanding and share price, so Microsoft’s position could change as markets moved. Its 2019 milestone followed Apple in 2018 and Amazon in 2018.