Apple Inc now wealthier than all Sensex companies put together

The 30% gain in Apple shares this year has taken its m-cap to nearly $800 bn, more than Sensex m-cap

The recent rally in the share price of Apple Inc has taken the market capitalisation of the technology giant to more than $797 billion at 10 PM IST, making it bigger than the combined market cap of all the 30 Sensex companies put together.

India’s bluechip index closed at a market cap of $784 billion, based on Monday's share prices. Apple, the most valuable company in the world, is the only company to have a higher market cap than that of the Sensex companies together. The Sensex accounts for 40 per cent of India’s total market cap.

Apple is also larger than the market cap of countries like Brazil, Singapore, Spain, and Malaysia. 

In the league of companies with the top market cap, Apple is followed by Alphabet Inc and Microsoft, which have a market cap of $651 billion and $530 billion, respectively.

Despite reporting lower than expected earnings, shares of Apple went up by 3.7 per cent last week, pushing its market cap to record highs. 

The rally in Apple was triggered by ace investor Warren Buffett’s statement that he had more than doubled his firm Berkshire Hathaway’s stake in Apple. His firm currently owns a 2.5 per cent stake in the technology giant. Expressing his confidence in the company despite softer sales in the recent past, Buffett said consumer loyalty for Apple was huge and hence there was nothing to worry.

Apple has gained 32 per cent year to date.

During the previous quarter, Apple added another $10 billion to its cash reserves, taking them to $256.8 billion, larger than the market capitalisation of General Electric (GE). This is roughly the size of the Indian mid-cap index in terms of market value.