Google-parent Alphabet becomes $3 trillion company, joins Apple, Nvidia and Microsoft

Google-parent Alphabet has officially become the fourth company to join the $3 trillion club. The list till date included chipmaker Nvidia, software giant Microsoft and Apple as the only other publicly traded stocks above the $3 trillion mark. According to a CNBC report, shares of the tech giant jumped over 4% to $251.22 on Monday, September 15 – resulting in a market capitalization of just over $3 trillion. Alphabet’s shares have increased by more than 70% since its April low, adding roughly $1.2 trillion in value over the period. The stock rise comes after a judge issued a lighter-than-expected antitrust ruling.

Interestingly, Google reached the $3 trillion mark nearly 20 years after its IPO and just over a decade after Alphabet was created as its parent company.

US Judge’s ruling that 'helped' Google hit $3 trillion milestone

In a landmark ruling earlier this month, the US District Judge Amit Mehta ruled in favour of Google, stating it can retain its Android operating system and Chrome browser. The US Department of Justice (DOJ) had pushed for Google to sell its Chrome browser, after a district court last year found the company held an illegal monopoly in search and advertising.


In the ruling, judge Mehta decided not to break Google’s core businesses, citing the rapid emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) companies — particularly ChatGPT-maker OpenAI. In his decision, the judge stated that the plaintiffs (DOJ) "overreached" in seeking to break up these core businesses. "Google will not be required to divest Chrome; nor will the court include a contingent divestiture of the Android operating system in the final judgment," the ruling stated. "Plaintiffs overreached in seeking forced divestiture of these key assets, which Google did not use to effect any illegal restraints."

The ruling boosted Alphabet's market cap by over $230 billion in just four days after the verdict. Following the rally, President Donald Trump congratulated the company, calling it “a very good day.”