Microsoft became the second company to reach a $3 trillion market capitalization, after Apple, on January 24, 2024.
Microsoft's shares briefly pushed the company above the threshold during trading. The milestone reflected investor confidence in its cloud-computing business, enterprise software, and growing role in artificial intelligence through products and partnerships.
Microsoft had transformed substantially from its early personal-computer software era. Windows and Office remained important, while Azure, Microsoft 365, LinkedIn, Xbox, and other businesses broadened the company's sources of revenue.
A market-capitalization record is not the same as a record for annual sales or profits. It reflects the current share price multiplied by shares outstanding, so Microsoft could move above or below $3 trillion as markets changed.