Microsoft became the world's most valuable public company by market capitalization in 2024 after surpassing Apple.
Microsoft moved ahead of Apple in January 2024 as investors rewarded its cloud growth and artificial-intelligence strategy. The companies' positions can change because market capitalization follows share prices, which respond to earnings, forecasts, interest rates, and broader market sentiment.
Microsoft's modern business is much broader than its original Windows software. Azure is a major cloud platform, Microsoft 365 provides subscription productivity software, and the company also owns Xbox, GitHub, and LinkedIn.
The ranking is not the same as a list of companies with the greatest revenue or largest workforce. It is a market-based comparison of publicly traded equity. Private companies, state-owned enterprises, and companies listed on different exchanges may be evaluated differently.