Microsoft beats Apple for biggest market value

The Address – Benghazi – Libya

NEW YORK – Microsoft has unseated Apple to rank as the world’s most valuable listed company, reclaiming the number one spot after more than 15 years.

The software giant ended Friday with a market value of more than $851bn (£668bn) compared with Apple’s $847bn.

The two firms have been vying for top place all week, with Apple remaining ahead at the end of each trading day.

Apple’s shares have fallen almost 25% since October – more steeply than the market overall – amid concerns about slowing smart phone demand and the possibility of additional US tariffs on Chinese-made goods.