Apple’s market value ends above $3tr for first time

This is Apple’s fourth straight record high close


REUTERS July 02, 2023
An Apple logo hangs above the entrance to the Apple store on 5th Avenue in the Manhattan borough of New York City, July 21, 2015. —REUTERS/File Photo

print-news
OAKLAND/ BENGALURU:

Apple Inc’s stock market value ended a trading session above $3 trillion for the first time on Friday, lifted by signs of improving inflation and bets that the iPhone maker will successfully expand into new markets.

Shares of the world’s most valuable company jumped 2.3% to $193.97, giving it a market capitalisation of $3.05 trillion, Refinitiv data showed.

It was Apple’s fourth straight record high close. The Cupertino, California company’s market capitalisation briefly peaked above $3 trillion in intra-day trading on January 3, 2022, before closing the session just below that mark.

Heavyweight growth stocks including Apple, Nvidia Corp and Tesla Inc rose sharply after a Commerce Department report showed the Personal Consumption Expenditure price index advanced less in May than in April, reflecting progress in the Federal Reserve’s fight against inflation.

Apple has surged 49% so far in 2023 in a rally by several of Wall Street’s most valuable companies, fuelled by bets that the Fed is nearing the end of its campaign of interest rate hikes, and by optimism about the potential for artificial intelligence.

Apple’s most recent quarterly report in May showed revenue and profits fell but still beat analysts’ expectations. Along with a steady track record of stock buybacks, the financial results reinforced its reputation as a safe investment at a time of global economic uncertainty.

“It’s a testament to one of the greatest publicly traded companies that’s ever existed. It continues to grow and diversify its revenue streams, has shareholder-friendly management, buys back shares, throws off a dividend and has a fortress balance sheet with strong and defendable cash flows,” said Art Hogan, Chief market strategist at B Riley Wealth.

Apple’s $3 trillion milestone follows the June 5 launch of a pricey augmented-reality headset, its riskiest bet since the introduction of the iPhone more than a decade ago.

The stock has climbed about 7% since then, compared to the S&P 500’s 4% rise. Recent gains in Apple’s shares have outpaced analysts’ estimates for the company’s future earnings. It is now trading at over 29 times expected earnings, its highest since January 2022, according to Refinitiv data. That compares to a median PE ratio of about 13 for the S&P 500 technology index. Four other US companies have valuations of more than $1 trillion - Alphabet Inc, Amazon.com Inc, Nvidia and Microsoft Corp, which follows Apple with a market value of $2.5 trillion.

Published in The Express Tribune, July 2nd, 2023.

Like Business on Facebook, follow @TribuneBiz on Twitter to stay informed and join in the conversation.

COMMENTS

Replying to X

Comments are moderated and generally will be posted if they are on-topic and not abusive.

For more information, please see our Comments FAQ