Microsoft busts down $400B barrier 

Technology giant Microsoft (MSFT) Thursday surpassed $400 billion in market value, marking its return to the top tier of the most valuable companies in the world.

Powered by news the company is making its popular Office suite of products more widely available on mobile devices, shares of Microsoft Thursday rose 84 cents, or 2%, to $48.70. At a market value of $401.4 billion, Microsoft is just one of three companies in the Standard & Poor’s 500 worth $400 billion or more.

Microsoft aggressive moves with mobile and cloud computing reasserts the company’s role in the new technology world. Shares are up 30% this year.

Microsoft has further distanced itself from Google (GOOGL) in the S & P 500. Microsoft’s value is just behind energy giant Exxon Mobil (XOM) at $407.6 billion. Apple (AAPL) remains firmly in the No. 1 position with a market value of $640 billion, and Google is No. 4 at $373 billion.

Shares of Microsoft have shot higher as the company’s new CEO Satya Nadella has shown the company can extend is software chops into faster-growing mobile and Internet business. Microsoft continues to be the company to beat in the critical business of providing cloud-based services to companies.

Microsoft is working hard to boost adoption of its own mobile platforms, but it’s a leader in cross-platform tools that work on not just its own devices, but those other rivals. Apple on the other hand designs software to lock consumers and businesses into its own “ecosystem” to make sure it continues to sell hardware. There’s a growing reality consumers and business will use devices made by a variety of vendors, and Microsoft is ensuring that its software and Web tools will work across of all them.

Investors seem to agree that strategy has great value.

MOST VALUABLE COMPANIES IN THE S&P 500
Company, market value ($ billions)
Apple, $638.4
Exxon Mobil, $407.6
Microsoft, $401.4
Google, $373.7
Berkshire Hathaway, $351.9

Source: USAtoday – Microsoft busts down $400B barrier

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