Apple became the first company listed on a U.S. stock exchange to exceed a $1 trillion market capitalization in August 2018.
Apple’s shares traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol AAPL. When the stock moved above the required price, the value of all outstanding Apple shares passed the trillion-dollar mark. The event was widely reported because no U.S.-listed company had previously reached that round-number valuation.
The wording “listed on a U.S. stock exchange” distinguishes Apple from earlier claims involving companies traded elsewhere. PetroChina briefly reached a trillion-dollar market value in Shanghai in 2007, although its valuation quickly fell. Apple’s milestone was longer-lasting and came from a mature global technology business rather than a first-day trading surge.
Apple’s valuation was supported by its iPhone franchise, growing services division, premium hardware strategy, and enormous installed base of customers around the world.