Apple Close To Becoming First Public Company Valued At $3 Trillion

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) — Apple is near to becoming the first publicly traded company to close a trading day with a $3 trillion market value, marking another milestone for a technology juggernaut that has reshaped society with a line-up of products that churn out eye-popping profits.

In afternoon trading Friday, Apple shares were up almost 2%, bringing its intraday market value to $3.04 trillion.

Apple is one of a handful of technology companies, including Microsoft and chipmaker Nvidia, that have helped drive the S&P 500 to a gain of more than 15% in the first half of the year.