Apple’s stock reached an intraday high of $342.89, lifting its valuation to approximately $5.036 trillion before closing lower at around $337.70, leaving the company valued at $4.96 trillion. The stock has climbed about 24% since the start of the year, making it the best-performing member of the “Magnificent Seven” technology stocks.
The milestone comes just weeks after Apple reclaimed its position as the world’s most valuable publicly listed company from Nvidia, which became the first company to exceed a $5 trillion valuation earlier this year.
Apple has largely stayed out of the multibillion-dollar race to build large-scale AI infrastructure. Instead of investing heavily in proprietary AI models and data centers, the company has adopted a more measured approach by integrating external AI technologies, including Google’s capabilities, into products such as its revamped Siri assistant.
The company’s decision to leave iPhone prices unchanged while increasing prices for MacBooks and iPads encouraged customers to purchase its flagship smartphones ahead of anticipated price increases later this year.
Apple also unveiled a new U.S. device leasing program in partnership with Klarna, allowing customers to finance products through predictable monthly payments starting at $17.99 for an iPhone, $11.99 for an Apple Watch or iPad, and $24.99 for a Mac.
Investors are now turning their attention to Apple’s third-quarter earnings, scheduled for release after markets close on Thursday where Wall Street speculators expects the company to report revenue growth of more than 15% from the same period a year ago
