Visualizing Apple’s Record Setting Market Capitalization

Setting records for Apple’s stock is not new. In 2012, it passed Microsoft’s old record of $616.3 billion market capitalization set in 1999.

Last month, it was the first stock to ever trade above $700 billion market cap, and the above visualization drives home the stark contrast between AAPL and all other S&P 500 mainstays. The horizontal axis shows the YTD performance of S&P 500 stocks coloured by sector, and the vertical axis shows market cap.

Markets are buzzing around the potential of the upcoming Apple Watch product line as well as the catalyst that its introduction may provide to iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus sales. A recent report from Strategy Analytics predicts 15.4 million sales of the Apple Watch in 2015 with an overall penetration of 54.8% in the smartwatch market.

If the Apple Watch can truly disrupt the watch market, it could be a key driver in bringing AAPL to $1 trillion market cap.

Graphic from: Finviz