Apple became the first U.S. company to reach a $1 trillion market capitalization after its stock split seven-for-one.
Apple completed a seven-for-one stock split in June 2014, distributing six additional shares for every share investors already owned. The split reduced the price of each individual share but did not change the total market value of the company or an investor’s proportional ownership.
Apple later reached the $1 trillion market-capitalization milestone in August 2018. The two events are often confused because the split made Apple’s per-share price look more accessible, while the later valuation milestone depended on the total value of all shares.
Stock splits change share counts and quoted prices but do not, by themselves, create wealth or increase a company’s underlying assets. Apple also carried out a four-for-one split in 2020 and a five-for-one split in 2022.