Apple's share price briefly pushed its market capitalization to $5.036 trillion during intraday trading on July 28, 2026, making it only the second company ever to reach that level after NVIDIA, according to CNA and Liberty Times (LTN) reports. Gains narrowed by the close, leaving Apple just under $5 trillion while NVIDIA finished near $4.77-4.78 trillion.
When and how did Apple hit the $5 trillion milestone?
Apple's stock climbed as much as 1.77% during U.S. trading on July 28, 2026, touching an intraday high of $342.89 and briefly pushing its market capitalization to $5.036 trillion — the second time any company has reached that threshold, following NVIDIA, according to CNA. Liberty Times (LTN) independently corroborated the same intraday price of $342.89 and confirmed Apple became "the second company to achieve this milestone after NVIDIA," placing the crossing at roughly NT$162.3 trillion in local-currency terms. Both outlets agree the touch above $5 trillion occurred on Tuesday, July 28, but was not sustained through the close (see below).
How does this compare with NVIDIA's own path to $5 trillion?
According to CNA, NVIDIA has held the title of the world's most valuable company since June 2025 and was the first company in history to cross the $5 trillion market-cap mark. CNA further reports that Apple overtook NVIDIA to reclaim the overall market-cap lead earlier this month (July), meaning Apple's July 28 intraday milestone came after it had already taken back the top spot from NVIDIA. On the same Tuesday session, NVIDIA shares rose 0.25% to close at $197.01, giving it a market cap of $4.77 trillion per LTN (equivalent to roughly NT$154.83 trillion) or $4.78 trillion per CNA — a discrepancy of about $10 billion between the two outlets' closing-cap figures.
Did Apple close above the $5 trillion mark?
No — by the closing bell, Apple's gains had narrowed and its market cap slipped back under $5 trillion, though the two outlets report slightly different numbers. CNA, citing Reuters, said Apple's advance narrowed to 0.72%, with shares closing at $339.33 and market cap settling at $4.98 trillion. LTN reported a slightly higher close of $340.08, up 0.94%, putting Apple's closing market cap at $4.99 trillion (about NT$161.97 trillion). Either figure confirms the $5.036 trillion intraday peak was not held into the close.
How has Apple's stock performed this year versus other tech giants?
Apple shares have risen about 25% year-to-date, according to both CNA and LTN, outperforming every other member of the "Magnificent Seven" group of tech giants. CNA specifies that Apple's 25% gain beat NVIDIA, Meta (Facebook's parent), Alphabet (Google's parent), and Microsoft. LTN's list of peers Apple outperformed is broader, naming Microsoft, NVIDIA, Amazon, Alphabet, Meta, and Tesla — all trailing Apple's roughly 25% advance this year.
What is driving Apple's stock rally?
LTN reports that analysts point to a pricing decision from June as a demand driver: Apple announced price increases for MacBook and iPad models while keeping iPhone prices unchanged. Analysts cited by LTN say this move "boosted market demand" as consumers rushed to buy the company's flagship products ahead of anticipated further price increases later in the year.
What is expected from Apple's upcoming earnings report?
Apple is scheduled to report its fiscal third-quarter results after the market close on Thursday, July 30, 2026. CNA reports analysts expect revenue to grow about 15% year-over-year compared with the same period last year, while LTN reports the consensus estimate is for growth of "more than 15%." Both figures point to a similar double-digit revenue growth expectation heading into the print.
What this means
The reporting from CNA and LTN shows Apple's $5 trillion crossing was a fleeting intraday event rather than a sustained close — both outlets place the closing market cap at $4.98-4.99 trillion, just below the threshold Apple briefly touched at $342.89 a share. That milestone also arrived only weeks after Apple had already retaken the overall market-cap lead from NVIDIA, the company both outlets identify as the first ever to reach $5 trillion and which closed the same session at $4.77-4.78 trillion, roughly $200-210 billion behind Apple. The rally that produced Apple's 25% year-to-date gain — the best among the Magnificent Seven per both sources — coincides with analysts' account of June's MacBook and iPad price hikes alongside frozen iPhone pricing, a dynamic that will be tested when Apple reports fiscal third-quarter results on July 30, against a consensus estimate of 15%-plus revenue growth.