BENGALURU, India – Apple’s market capitalization briefly surpassed $5 trillion for the first time on Tuesday, making the iPhone maker only the second company ever to reach that milestone after Nvidia. The stock hit an intraday high of $342.89, implying a market value of about $5.036 trillion, before easing to $337.70, which valued the company at roughly $4.96 trillion, still up 0.2% on the day. Earlier this month, Apple overtook Nvidia to regain its position as the world’s most valuable publicly listed company, ending the chipmaker’s run at the top that began in June 2025 when Nvidia first crossed the $5 trillion mark. Analysts say Apple’s strong share-price performance this year, including a gain of 24% so far in 2026, reflects resilient demand for its hardware, steady pricing on its flagship iPhone and a more cautious approach to artificial-intelligence investment than many Big Tech rivals. The company has struggled to develop its own AI models and relies on Google technology to support new services such as a revamped Siri, helping it avoid the heavy infrastructure spending that has weighed on cash flows elsewhere in the sector. Apple has also bolstered demand through a new U.S. device-leasing program launched with payments firm Klarna, offering monthly payments starting at $17.99 for an iPhone, and it is due to report third-quarter earnings on Thursday, with Wall Street expecting revenue to rise more than 15% from a year earlier.

Prepared by Christopher Adams and reviewed by editorial team.