Synopsis
The AI boom is fueling a surge in chipmakers like SK Hynix, Samsung, and Micron, pushing them into the $1 trillion market-cap club. This global tech rally has propelled Taiwan past India in market value, highlighting the dominance of AI-driven semiconductor giants.Listen to this article in summarized format
Recent rallies in chip stocks have pushed companies such as SK Hynix, Samsung Electronics and Micron Technology past the trillion-dollar mark, joining an elite group dominated by US tech giants.
At the same time, AI-driven gains are also reshaping global stock markets, helping Taiwan overtake India in overall market value.
Chipmakers dominate
SK Hynix: South Korean memory chipmaker SK Hynix crossed the $1 trillion valuation mark for the first time on Wednesday, after its shares surged nearly 15% in a single session.
The rally lifted the company’s market value to around 1,680 trillion won ($1.12 trillion) and helped push South Korea’s benchmark KOSPI index to a record high. Investors have increasingly backed SK Hynix because of its strong position in high-bandwidth memory chips used in AI systems.
Samsung Electronics: Samsung Electronics entered the trillion-dollar club on May 6, as demand for AI chips boosted semiconductor stocks globally.
At the time, the company, which is the world’s largest memory chip maker, was only the second Asian company after Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company to cross the milestone.
The Korean company’s shares more than quadrupled over the past year and jumped by nearly 11–12% that day to cross the milestone. Samsung’s market capitalisation now stands at around $1.04 trillion.
Micron Technology: US-based Micron Technology crossed the $1 trillion mark for the first time on Tuesday.
The rally in the stock accelerated after UBS sharply raised its price target on it. Investors see Micron as one of the biggest beneficiaries of the AI-driven demand for memory chips and data-centre infrastructure. The company’s market value is now just over $1 trillion.
The biggest companies in the world
Nvidia: Nvidia remains the world’s most valuable company, with a market capitalisation above $5 trillion. The chip giant first crossed the trillion-dollar mark in 2023 and has since become the biggest winner of the AI boom due to soaring demand for its graphics processors, which are used in AI training and cloud computing.
Alphabet: The Google parent is among the world’s most valuable firms, supported by its dominance in online advertising, cloud computing and AI development. The company first crossed the $1 trillion mark in January 2020. Alphabet’s market capitalisation is currently at around $4.7 trillion.
Apple: Thanks to strong iPhone sales, services revenue and its broader hardware ecosystem, Apple remains one of the world’s largest listed companies. It became the first US company to reach $1 trillion in market value in August 2018. Apple’s market capitalisation now stands at around $4.2 trillion.
Microsoft: The company crossed the $1 trillion milestone in April 2019 and has enhanced its position through aggressive investments in AI and cloud services. Its partnership with OpenAI has helped boost investor confidence further. Microsoft’s market value is currently around $3.1 trillion.
Amazon: The Jeff Bezos-founded Amazon continues to rank among the world’s most valuable companies due to its ecommerce and cloud businesses. It first crossed the trillion-dollar mark in September 2018. Amazon’s market capitalisation currently stands at around $2.9 trillion.
Broadcom: Emerging as a major AI infrastructure player, Broadcom has benefited from rising demand for networking and semiconductor products used in data centres.
The company crossed the $1 trillion milestone in December 2025. Its market value is now around $2 trillion.
TSMC: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, the world’s largest contract chipmaker, remains central to the global AI supply chain. Its shares have surged this year, accounting for more than 40% of Taiwan’s benchmark Taiex index. TSMC’s market capitalisation currently stands at around $1.85 trillion.
Meta: The Facebook, Instagram and WhatsApp owner re-entered the trillion-dollar club last June on the back of stronger advertising growth and large AI investments. Meta first crossed the milestone in June 2021 during a sharp rise in digital advertising and social media usage, before later dropping below the mark amid slowing growth and heavy metaverse spending. Meta’s market capitalisation is currently around $1.54 trillion.
Tesla: Elon Musk’s electric car company continues to remain among the world’s trillion-dollar companies despite growing competition in the EV market, especially from China. The company first crossed the $1 trillion mark in October 2021. Tesla re-entered the club in November 2024, after its shares rallied on optimism around its robotaxi and AI businesses, as well as investor enthusiasm following Donald Trump’s US presidential election victory. Tesla’s market value now stands at around $1.46 trillion.
Taiwan’s stock market overtakes Indian bourses
Meanwhile, Taiwan has overtaken India to become the world’s fifth-largest stock market by value, according to Bloomberg data compiled by ETIG.
The island nation’s stock market capitalisation rose to nearly $5 trillion, helped largely by TSMC’s rally. Taiwan and South Korea have recorded some of the fastest gains globally this year because of strong investor appetite for AI-linked semiconductor companies.
India slipped behind Taiwan as foreign investors reduced exposure amid slower earnings growth, rich valuations and concerns that the country lacks strong AI-linked manufacturing and semiconductor capabilities compared with East Asian markets.
