Alphabet surges past Apple to $4 trillion 

Alphabet, the parent company of Google, crossed a landmark $4 trillion market valuation on Monday, becoming only the fourth company globally to reach the milestone and overtaking Apple to rank as the world’s second-most valuable firm. 

The move places Alphabet alongside Nvidia, Microsoft and Apple in an elite valuation bracket that has emerged amid an intensifying global race to commercialise artificial intelligence.

The surge in Alphabet’s market capitalisation followed Apple’s decision to select Google’s Gemini artificial intelligence model to underpin a major revamp of its Siri digital assistant, which is installed across every iPhone. While financial terms of the partnership were not disclosed, the announcement triggered a sharp rise in Alphabet’s share price and underscored renewed investor confidence in the company’s AI strategy.

Alphabet’s ascent reflects a broader shift in market sentiment. The stock has risen about 65% in 2025, outperforming its peers within Wall Street’s so-called Magnificent Seven group, as investors warmed to evidence that the company had regained momentum after earlier concerns it had fallen behind rivals in AI development.

Much of that confidence has been reinforced by the transformation of Google Cloud into a key growth engine. The unit reported a 34% jump in revenue in the third quarter, while its backlog of unrecognised sales contracts climbed to $155 billion. Growth has also been supported by Alphabet renting out its internally developed AI chips to external customers, broadening commercial demand for its infrastructure. The turnaround helped attract a rare technology investment from Warren Buffett’s Berkshire Hathaway.

Alphabet’s core advertising business, driven by Google Search and YouTube, has remained resilient despite economic uncertainty and intense competition, providing a stable revenue base as AI investments scale.

The valuation milestone comes as Alphabet continues to navigate regulatory pressure. The company has faced two major US antitrust cases, including a ruling last year that rejected proposals to break up the group, allowing it to retain control of Chrome and Android. A separate case over online advertising remedies remains ongoing.

With investors continuing to back AI-led growth, Alphabet’s $4 trillion valuation highlights how strategic partnerships and execution are reshaping the hierarchy of global technology giants.