On An Inflation Adjusted Basis, Apple's Market Capitalization Is About 26 Percent Below Microsoft's Maximum Market Capitalization

Apple's stock market capitalization, as of the close of the NYSE on Monday, August 20, 2012, is $624 Billion. It is higher than Microsoft's maximum valuation of $619 billion on Dec. 30, 1999. On an inflation adjusted basis, the Microsoft capitalization of $619 billion at the beginning of the year 2000 is equivalent to around $845 billion today. In real terms, Microsoft's maximum market capitalization is about 35 percent higher than Apple's maximum capitalization to date. Equivalently, Apple's maximum capitalization to date is about 26 percent lower than Microsoft's maximum in real terms.