Microsoft was the first company to surpass a US$1 trillion market capitalization during 2019.
Microsoft crossed the threshold in April 2019 after reporting strong quarterly results and benefiting from investor confidence in its cloud-computing business. The milestone placed it among the small group of technology companies valued above one trillion dollars.
The company began as a software business best known for MS-DOS and Windows. Under later leadership, Microsoft expanded heavily into cloud services through Azure, while also operating businesses such as Office, LinkedIn, Xbox, and enterprise software.
The 2019 milestone did not mean Microsoft had one trillion dollars in cash. Market capitalization represents the combined market value of its publicly traded shares. Because share prices fluctuate throughout each trading session, the ranking among Apple, Microsoft, and other giants can change frequently.