Apple briefly crossed the $5 trillion market-capitalization mark today as its shares rose during U.S. trading, making Apple only the second U.S.-listed company to reach that valuation, after Nvidia. 

The milestone comes as investors continue to respond to Apple’s product launches and expectations surrounding its artificial-intelligence strategy. 

The company’s latest Mac products are also being marketed toward businesses seeking alternatives to expensive cloud-based AI computing.

Apple’s shares were up about 0.5% when the company briefly passed the $5 trillion threshold.

Microsoft, by comparison, was down about 1.1% at the time, while Nvidia remained one of the world’s largest publicly traded companies.

The valuation milestone illustrates the enormous scale of the world’s leading technology companies. 

Apple has built its business around the iPhone, services, Macs and other consumer products, while increasingly investing in AI capabilities across its product ecosystem.

The company’s ability to sustain its valuation will depend on factors including product demand, AI development, services revenue and competition from other technology companies. 

The $5 trillion level is therefore a market milestone rather than a measure of Apple’s underlying business performance alone.

Source: MarketWatch.