Apple became the world's most valuable publicly traded company by market capitalization in 2011.
Apple briefly overtook ExxonMobil in August 2011 to become the largest publicly traded company by market value. Its rise reflected rapid growth in the iPhone and iPad businesses, along with strong investor expectations for future earnings.
The shift was especially notable because ExxonMobil had long been the leading public company by market capitalization. Apple had moved from near-bankruptcy concerns in the late 1990s to the top of global equity markets in little more than a decade.
Apple's return to the top was not necessarily permanent on every trading day. Market-cap rankings fluctuate with share prices, and ExxonMobil later reclaimed the lead at times. Nevertheless, 2011 marked Apple's breakthrough as the world's most valuable listed company.