Apple & Alphabet: Two Tech Giants Duke It Out

Two tech giants duke it out.

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WHY CUPERTINO MAY BE BEST EQUIPPED IN THE LONG HAUL 

If you have been keeping an eye on the technology headlines since the start of the month, you may have spotted that the recently formed Google parent company Alphabet has apparently overtaken Apple as the most valuable firm on the planet. It’s shock news for many given the former’s lack of name recognition, and has raised questions about Apple’s long-term prospects against the young upstart - but is the media consensus about the two respective companies’ fortunes the right one?

Before we plunge into the narrative, let’s outline the bare facts. It was reported on Tuesday, February 2 that at the close of trading on Wall Street, Alphabet’s shares had reached $531 billion in value, shooting past the $523.9 billion recorded by Apple after a modest decline.

Never mind the fact that a mere two days later, a drop in Alphabet’s stock to a shade under $500 billion allowed Apple to vault back into the lead, with a market capitalization at close of $534 billion; the big news was that the Cupertino giant’s grip on its long-held crown had been loosened for the first time since it surpassed Exxon Mobil for that honor way back in January 2012.

PLENTY OF CROWING FROM GOOGLE-FRIENDLY COMMENTATORS

Inevitably, the news of Alphabet’s - albeit brief - takeover at the top was greeted with talk of a changing of the guard, a sense that it reflected a very real transformation in the technology landscape.