Cigars all around: AAPL catches MSFT on S&amp;P 500

[This is officially the most times I have had to change a headline. –MR.]

Remember "I would shut it down and give the money back to the shareholders" and "the future of Apple looks like Silicon Graphics"? How about "doomed to fail?" Remember "The Mac market is ending?" Good times, good times.

You've come a long way, baby. VentureBeat notes that as of today's market close, Apple's ~~total market valuation~~ position on the S&P 500 index passed Microsoft's. Apple is now #2 on the US list after ExxonMobil.

Update: Looking at the valuations, as of the close Apple is still behind by quite a bit. Not sure where VB's numbers are coming from, but we'll find out.

Update 2: Looks like MarketWatch ran ~~incorrect~~ confusing numbers at the close today, which is where the ~~erroneous~~ info came from. Apologies to all.

Update 3: Trust the WSJ to clarify matters. While Microsoft still has a larger full market value than Apple, the Standard & Poor's index is "float adjusted market capitalization weighted" (gesundheit!), meaning that it is tracking the smaller number of shares actually available for public purchase, as opposed to the larger number tied up in instruments such as employee options. Based on that measurement, Apple has in fact pulled ahead of Microsoft, according to S&P's Howard Silverblatt: "AAPL has an index market value of $241,534 million and MSFT has a market value of $239,515 million – AAPL is #2." [Thanks Tim!]

Disclaimer: I have a small, long-term position in AAPL.

[via Techmeme]

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Source: http://venturebeat.com/2010/04/22/aapl-is-now-worth-more-tha…

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[This is officially the most times I have had to change a headline. –MR.] Remember "I would shut it down and give the money back to...

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Info Dave

Once again I agree with you Cowicide. Years ago I heard the phrase, 10's to many and 2's not enough. It can certainly apply to operating systems and a lot of other things.

I think the notion that we live in a free market economy is a misnomer. With exclusive agreements, geographic territories and under the table dealings, it's a sticky market at best.

April 24 2010 at 11:40 AM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Info Dave

Nice comments Cowicide. It would be a shame if Apple got too big, or too full of themselves. Some would say that has already happened. I think Apple has stuck to their guns with a focus on the user interface and to continue to push the industry forward.

I am firmly in the Anything But Microsoft camp, but I applaud everything else. I don't want Apple to replace Microsoft. I want Apple, Google, ARM, Intel, and a couple of unknown rising stars to replace Microsoft.

April 23 2010 at 4:31 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

riley

MSFT has already hit 300. Actually MSFT is down a lot from it's all time high set a few years ago.

Now MSFT is stuck in vortex of failure. The same vortex I'm starting to see starting to form around Google.

April 22 2010 at 5:32 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Tim Rosencrans

Do you think Ballmer would be upset if Apple hits 300 before M$ does?

April 22 2010 at 5:28 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

Tim Rosencrans

gosh it seems like just yesterday we were celebrating Apple passing 200 billion. Oh wait it was!

My God. Apple passed 200 Billion only a month ago and has added 40 billion since. M$ hit 200 billion in 1998 and Apple is now only 35 billion away.

April 22 2010 at 5:24 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

wygit

TUAW did better than AppleInsider...

TUAW corrected the story.

AppleInsider had it in their RSS feed, and then just pulled the article.
http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/10/04/22/apples_242_billion_market_cap_surpasses_microsoft.html

April 22 2010 at 5:13 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

N900

Bad MarketWatch! Bad! He's not getting any supper tonight.

April 22 2010 at 5:11 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

hunglyka

Here is an explanation. Basically they are talking about S&P 500 market valuation, which is not the same as market cap.

http://blogs.wsj.com/marketbeat/2010/04/22/apple-edges-out-microsoft-as-2-in-sp-500/?mod=yahoo_hs

April 22 2010 at 5:06 PM Report abuse Permalink rate up rate down Reply

1 reply to hunglyka's comment

Michael Rose