Shares in Microsoft jumped US$1.70 on the Nasdaq exchange yesterday, closing the official day’s trading at US$107.90 after touching $108.14. This gave Microsoft a market capitalisation of $814.96 billion – despite the hopes of some, still below Google/Alphabet’s $837 billion, and top dog Apple’s $943 billion.

Microsoft did briefly get ahead of Alphabet at the end of May with a market cap of $753 billion, compared with Alphabet’s $739 billion at that time. But Alphabet has since stormed ahead, with its current market cap yesterday reaching $837 billion.

Apple’s shares closed on Monday, US time, at $191.61 on Nasdaq, up 17 cents. The company is due to report its third financial quarter results after the official market close on Tuesday next week, July 31.