Microsoft has achieved a remarkable milestone, becoming only the second company to reach a $3 trillion market valuation. This feat was accomplished just as the company announced the layoffs of 1,900 workers from its gaming divisions.
The journey of Microsoft reaching the $3 trillion mark began yesterday, but before the markets closed, it fell back below. Today, it rose once more and closed at $3.01 trillion, or $404.87 per share.
More than a year after surpassing the $2 trillion milestone in 2020, Apple first reached the $3 trillion market valuation two years ago. In recent weeks, Microsoft and Apple have alternated as the most valuable organizations in the world, with Microsoft temporarily overtaking Apple earlier this month.
To put things in perspective, Microsoft’s market value currently exceeds the GDP of France in its entirety and trails only behind that of the United Kingdom. The enthusiasm of investors in artificial intelligence (AI) and its potential to drive growth for the corporation has resulted in a 40% increase in Microsoft’s share price last year, which has since increased by more than 7%.
Microsoft’s recent focus on AI announcements has contributed significantly to the hype around its stock, with multiple new product announcements supporting the stock considerably each week. In 2023, CEO Satya Nadella invested billions of dollars in artificial intelligence in 2023. Among other things, he brought ChatGPT and other AI tools to market ahead of competitors. Microsoft’s strategic ties with ChatGPT maker OpenAI, a pioneering force in AI, were further solidified during a leadership shakeup at OpenAI last year. The company’s ascent, fueled by AI excitement, suggests a potential shift in leadership within the tech industry.
Microsoft momentarily overthrew Apple as the world’s most valuable publicly traded business earlier this month. Although Apple regained its top position, Microsoft overtook it again at the close of trading on Thursday. Apple is currently valued at $3.002 trillion, whereas Microsoft is valued at $3.009 trillion.
Interestingly, this stock market success coincides with the 1800 job losses at Microsoft’s gaming division, which can be seen as a major fallout from the company’s $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard last year. Phil Spencer, the head of gaming at Microsoft, characterized the layoffs as part of a strategy to establish a sustainable cost structure supporting the company’s expanding business. Moreover, Mike Ybarra, president of Blizzard Entertainment, also announced his exit from the company.
Overall, Microsoft has surpassed competitors in the eyes of investors thanks to its rapid adoption and development of the technology. The stock has increased by almost 70% since Microsoft’s multibillion-dollar investment in OpenAI in January 2023, increasing the company’s market worth by more than $1.2 trillion. Under Nadella’s leadership, Microsoft has swiftly achieved trillion-dollar valuation milestones, crossing $1 trillion in 2019 and $2 trillion in the next two years. Therefore, it would be interesting to see how the company continues to evolve in the future.
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