Apple was the first publicly traded company to close a trading session above a $1 trillion valuation.
Apple’s shares closed above the required level on August 2, 2018, confirming the milestone at the end of the trading day rather than only during an intraday price spike. The valuation was based on the closing share price and the company’s shares outstanding.
The wording “close above” is more precise than simply saying a company touched a valuation. Share prices fluctuate throughout a session, and a company can briefly pass a market-cap threshold before finishing below it.
Apple’s accomplishment followed years of expansion after the iPhone launch, with services and other hardware adding to the company’s revenue base. Amazon and Microsoft later joined the trillion-dollar group, but Apple was the first public company to record the closing milestone.