PetroChina briefly became the first company to exceed a $1 trillion market capitalization in 2007.
Shares of PetroChina surged on their first trading day in Shanghai on November 5, 2007. The company’s market value briefly rose above $1 trillion, although the stock later fell sharply and did not maintain that level. The milestone therefore differs from a record based on a sustained or closing valuation.
PetroChina is the listed subsidiary of China National Petroleum Corporation, one of China’s major state-owned energy groups. It operates across oil and gas exploration, production, refining, chemicals, and sales.
The episode is often confused with Apple’s 2018 milestone. PetroChina reached the threshold earlier, but Apple was the first U.S. company to do so and remained a major example of a technology company achieving the valuation. Market-cap rankings can change quickly with share prices and exchange conditions.