Apple's market capitalization topped $500 billion on Wednesday, climbing to a mountain peak where few companies have ventured, and none have stayed for long. Apple was already the world's most-valuable company, as the gap between it and the company number 2 “Exxon Mobil" has widened rapidly in the past month, because investors have digested Apple's report of blow-out holiday-season sales of iPhones and iPads. The company's market capitalization was $505.8 billion at the close of trading Wednesday as the shares raised of 7.03 $ to close at $542.44, as The Associated Press stated. Apple is the sixth American corporation to reach the $500 billion milestone. Thus, Exxon now worth 411 billion dollars, and it was worth just over $500 billion for two short stretches at the end of 2007, also Microsoft was worth just more than $500 billion briefly at the end of 1999, and again in early 2000, as well as Cisco Systems, Intel and General Electric also peaked just above $500 billion earlier in 2000.
