Alphabet, the parent company of Google, is rapidly approaching a $4 trillion market valuation, positioning it to become only the fourth company ever to reach this financial milestone, propelled by an ongoing artificial intelligence (AI)-driven market surge. Alphabet's market capitalization reached $3.82 trillion on Monday.
Shares (GOOGL.O) rose over 5% to hit a record high of $315.9. The stock has climbed nearly 70% so far this year, significantly outperforming AI rivals like Microsoft and Amazon.
Only three companies Nvidia, Microsoft, and Apple have previously achieved a $4 trillion valuation. Currently, only Nvidia and Apple remain at that level.
The surge marks a striking turnaround in investor sentiment. Initially, following the 2022 launch of ChatGPT, some investors feared Alphabet had lost its AI lead, despite having invented much of the core generative AI technology.
Alphabet has regained momentum by transforming its cloud business into a crucial growth engine. The company has received strong early reviews for its new Gemini 3 model.
The news of Warren Buffett's Berkshire Hathaway taking an investment stake in Alphabet has been a major draw, with the market often emulating Berkshire's moves.
Google's stock rallied after the company largely emerged unscathed from a bipartisan antitrust push in the U.S. A court found its search business to be an illegal monopoly but stopped short of ordering a breakup, allowing it to sidestep a forced sale of its Chrome browser.
Analysts remain confident in Google's position in the AI race due to its strong cash flow, its development of in-house chips (providing an alternative to expensive Nvidia processors), and its massive internet search business already benefiting from AI integration.
The rapid ascent of Big Tech valuations is fanning fears of a market bubble, similar to the dot-com boom of the 1990s, with some business leaders warning that market movements are detaching from underlying business fundamentals. These concerns are amplified by a wave of circular deals involving key AI players like OpenAI and Nvidia.
