NVIDIA has become the first company valued at US$4 billion (A$6.14 trillion).
The computer chip maker reached previously-untouched market capitalisation when its share price pushed through $163.69 on its way to a high of $164.37 on the United States’ Nasdaq stock exchange on Wednesday (Thursday AEST).
The shares (NASDAQ: NVDA) eased back to close up $2.88 (1.80%) at $162.88, giving it a value of $3.97 trillion, cementing its place as the largest company in the world and outpacing the other so-called Magnificent Seven technology stocks that have been helping propel U.S. stock market indices to new highs this year.
Dakota Wealth Senior Portfolio Manager Robert Pavlik was quoted in a Reuters story as saying that the milestone highlighted the fact that companies were shifting their asset spending toward artificial intelligence (AI) as “the future of technology."
"This is a historical moment for NVIDIA," Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives wrote in a note to clients on Wednesday.
Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) remained the second-most valuable company with a market capitalisation of $3.74 trillion after its shares gained 1.4% on Wednesday to close at $503.51.
The NVIDIA share price has risen 18% this calendar year, 24% in the last 12 months and 1,454% in the last five years on surging demand for its graphics processing units for use in AI applications.
The price has rebounded 74% from its lows in April when global share markets plunged on worries about United States tariffs and from concerns early in the year about competition from China.
If it were a country NVIDIA would be the fourth or fifth largest in the world behind the U.S., China and Germany and similar to Japan.
Data compiled by LSEG showed NVIDIA’s stock recently traded at a 12-month forward price-to-earnings ratio of 32, below its three-year average of 37, according to Reuters.
