Microsoft owns Azure and became the second US$3 trillion company in 2024.
Microsoft briefly reached a market capitalization of US$3 trillion on January 24, 2024, following Apple’s earlier achievement. The milestone reflected the combined market value of Microsoft’s outstanding shares. Microsoft had been competing closely with Apple for the position of the world’s most valuable public company.
Azure is Microsoft’s cloud-computing platform, providing infrastructure, databases, analytics, storage, and other services. Microsoft also operates Windows, Office, Xbox, LinkedIn, and GitHub. Its cloud business became increasingly important as investors valued recurring software revenue and growth in enterprise computing.
A market-cap milestone is not the same as a revenue or profit milestone. Microsoft’s share price can move the company above or below a round-number valuation during ordinary trading. The US$3 trillion figure therefore marks a point in market history rather than a permanent ranking.