Apple is the company that trades on the Nasdaq under the ticker symbol AAPL and has often ranked among the world's largest by market capitalization.
Apple was founded in 1976 by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak, and Ronald Wayne. Its early success came from personal computers, but the iPod, iPhone, iPad, and related services transformed it into a global consumer-technology company.
Market capitalization is calculated by multiplying a company's share price by its outstanding shares. Apple’s enormous valuation reflects the scale of its hardware ecosystem, software platforms, services revenue, and large global customer base. The ranking can change daily as share prices move.
A common mix-up is confusing Apple’s ticker, AAPL, with the company name or with the Dow Jones Industrial Average, an index that includes Apple. Apple is headquartered in Cupertino, California, and its shares have traded publicly since 1980.