Nvidia topples Microsoft to become the world's most valuable company

Nvidia topples Microsoft to become the world's most valuable company
The chip giant's shares have been on an unrelenting tear as AI fever continues to grip investors.
JUN 18, 2024
By  Bloomberg

Nvidia Corp.’s relentless rally has propelled the semiconductor giant’s market capitalization over its mega-cap tech peers, helping it clinch the title of the world’s most-valuable company as the artificial intelligence wave continues. 

Shares rose as much as 4% to about $3.3 trillion on Tuesday, catapulting it over Microsoft Corp. and Apple Inc. The top stocks have jockeyed all month for the pole position, with Nvidia edging past its big-tech peers. 

Earlier in the month, Nvidia capped Apple by market value for the first time since 2002, and the two went back and forth in rankings in recent days. Last week, Apple also overtook Microsoft to trade in the top spot briefly.

The ranking is yet another reminder that AI is the top focus of many investors. Nvidia is seen as the biggest and earliest beneficiary of the technology as it dominates the market with its highly sought-after chips that help power data centers running complex computing tasks required by AI applications. Demand for its H100 accelerators are surging and helped drive the chipmaker’s sales up by more than 125% last year. 

Microsoft, for its part, is also seen as an early AI winner given its investment and partnership with OpenAI, which created ChatGPT. And, this week, Apple shares rallied after the iPhone maker finally unveiled its plan for using the technology, appeasing investors at long last. 

“We believe over the next year the race to $4 Trillion Market Cap in Tech will be front and center between Nvidia, Apple, and Microsoft,” Daniel Ives, analyst at Wedbush Securities, wrote in a note. 

Nvidia’s surging stock price has made co-founder and Chief Executive Officer Jensen Huang one of the world’s richest people. His net worth has climbed more than $70 billion since the beginning of the year to $115 billion, putting him in 12th place on the Bloomberg Billionaires Index. That’s the biggest gain among his billionaire peers.

Investors, alongside Huang, argue that Nvidia is more than a chipmaker. 

“They’re not just selling chips, they’re selling systems,” Michael Lippert, vice president and portfolio manager at the Baron Capital Inc., said in an interview, pointing to the company’s proprietary software and development ecosystem. 

Nvidia’s swift climb to the top has been record breaking, as the company is one of the few firms to have demonstrated significant revenue growth from AI. Through last close, shares have risen more than 160% in 2024, adding more than $2 trillion to its market capitalization.

“Nvidia’s GPU chips are in essence the new gold or oil in the tech sector as more enterprises and consumers quickly head down this path with the 4th Industrial Revolution well underway,” said Ives. 

Latest News

Insured Retirement Institute urges Labor Department to retain annuity safe harbor
Insured Retirement Institute urges Labor Department to retain annuity safe harbor

A Department of Labor proposal to scrap a regulatory provision under ERISA could create uncertainty for fiduciaries, the trade association argues.

LPL Financial sticking to its guns with retaining 90% of Commonwealth's financial advisors
LPL Financial sticking to its guns with retaining 90% of Commonwealth's financial advisors

"We continue to feel confident about our ability to capture 90%," LPL CEO Rich Steinmeier told analysts during the firm's 2nd quarter earnings call.

Mercer Advisors expands in Florida with $1.2B AUM next-gen team
Mercer Advisors expands in Florida with $1.2B AUM next-gen team

It's the mega-RIA firm's third $1B+ acquisition in just three months.

WisdomTree to acquire $1.85B AUM specialist asset manager
WisdomTree to acquire $1.85B AUM specialist asset manager

The deal marks a strategic entry into private asst markets for the ETP, ETF innovator.

Trump asks bank CEOs to pitch Fannie, Freddie stock offering
Trump asks bank CEOs to pitch Fannie, Freddie stock offering

Wall Street leaders propose ways to monetize the mortgage giants.

SPONSORED How advisors can build for high-net-worth complexity

Orion's Tom Wilson on delivering coordinated, high-touch service in a world where returns alone no longer set you apart.

SPONSORED RILAs bring stability, growth during volatile markets

Barely a decade old, registered index-linked annuities have quickly surged in popularity, thanks to their unique blend of protection and growth potential—an appealing option for investors looking to chart a steadier course through today's choppy market waters, says Myles Lambert, Brighthouse Financial.