PetroChina became the first company to exceed a $1 trillion market capitalization in the 21st century.
PetroChina reached the milestone during its November 2007 debut on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. Its shares rose sharply on the first trading day, briefly giving the company a market value above $1 trillion before the price fell back.
PetroChina is the listed arm of China National Petroleum Corporation and operates across oil and gas exploration, production, refining, and distribution. The company’s debut attracted enormous attention because it combined a large offering with intense domestic investor demand.
This event is often confused with Apple’s 2018 record. Apple is commonly identified as the first company to close above $1 trillion in market capitalization, whereas PetroChina briefly passed the threshold intraday during its 2007 listing. The distinction is whether the question concerns a temporary trading value or a closing valuation.