Only six companies have hit that mark, and it's been a hard line to stay above, according to a USA Today article. The companies include Microsoft Corp., Intel Corp., Cisco Systems Inc., General Electric Co. and ExxonMobil Corp.
Apple is widely touted these days for building its brand successfully, with 37 of the 39 stock-market analysts that cover the company giving it a "buy" or "strong buy" rating. Yet there are still those who question "how long the maker of iPhones and iPads can stay on its perch. Tech giants Microsoft, Intel and Cisco have all fallen well below $500 billion," USA Today reports.
Microsoft's story is one of a lingering slump after a peak in the late 1990s. USA Today points out that the company's heyday came in late 1999, when its market capitalization hit $604 billion. At the end of trading Thursday, it stood at $270.94 billion.
The difficulty of soaring on the stock market can be illustrated by looking at stats for Amazon.com. The company is an industry darling in many ways – topping ubiquitous lists for brand loyalty and customer service – but its market cap totaled "just" $81.93 billion Thursday.
Apple's stock closed Thursday at $544.47 per share, giving the stock a market capitalization of $507.65 billion. The stock has rocketed in recent months, from a low of $310.50 last summer.
