By Noel Randewich and Sinéad Carew
(Reuters) – Shares of Nvidia rallied to record highs on Wednesday, with the AI chipmaker’s stock market valuation hitting the $3 trillion mark and overtaking Apple to become the world’s second most valuable company.
The latest rally in Nvidia comes as it prepares to split its stock ten-for-one, effective on June 7, a move that could increase its appeal to individual investors.
The surge in Nvidia’s stock market value above Apple’s underscores a shift in Silicon Valley, where the company co-founded by Steve Jobs has dominated since it launched the iPhone in 2007.
Microsoft, based in Redmond, Washington, remained the world’s most valuable company with a market value of $3.14 trillion as its shares climbed 1.5%.
Nvidia’s stock has surged 147% so far in 2024, with demand for its top-of-the-line processors far outstripping supply as Microsoft, Meta Platforms and Google-owner Alphabet race to build out their AI computing capabilities and dominate the emerging technology.
It has rallied nearly 30% just since May 22, when Nvidia issued its latest stellar revenue forecast.
In Wednesday’s trading session, Nvidia’s stock briefly hit an intra-day record high of $1,223.59, giving it a value of $3.010 trillion at a moment when Apple’s stood at about $3.005 trillion.
The chipmaker’s stock was last up 4.9% at $1,221.51, giving Nvidia a market value of $3.004 trillion.
Apple’s market capitalization was last at $3.00 trillion as its stock climbed 0.7%.
Optimism about AI lifted chip stocks broadly on Wednesday, with the PHLX chip index surging about 4%. Super Micro Computer, which sells AI optimized servers built with Nvidia chips, climbed nearly 5%.
Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang this week was the subject of wall-to-wall coverage on Taiwanese television and was mobbed by attendees when he visited the Computex tech trade fair in Taipei, where he was born before moving to the United States.
While Nvidia rides a wave of AI enthusiasm on Wall Street, Apple is struggling with weak demand for iPhones and tough competition in China, the world’s biggest smartphone market.
Some investors also view Apple as lagging other technology heavyweights as they rush to build AI features into their products and services.
(Reporting by Noel Randewich; Editing by Nick Zieminski)
