By Keithen Drury, The Motley Fool
Publication Date: 2026-10-15 07:50:00
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) has closed the gap with first-place Nvidia (NASDAQ: NVDA) as the world’s largest company. Apple is about ready to cross the $5 trillion valuation threshold, while Nvidia has faltered a bit in recent days and is valued at just under $5.5 trillion. But can Apple overtake Nvidia over the next year?
As long as the artificial intelligence build-out progresses as every company has guided for, I’d say the answer is a resounding “No.” Nvidia’s growth will be too much for Apple to compete with, resulting in Nvidia opening a commanding lead that may never be closed.
Missed Nvidia in 2009? This Rare Signal Is Flashing Again. In 2009, a “Double Down” signal flashed for a little-known chipmaker called Nvidia. For the first time in years, that same “Total Conviction” signal is flashing for a company 1/100th the size of Nvidia. Continue »
Why has Apple been succeeding recently?
On paper, Apple isn’t the most impressive company. In its most recent quarter, it grew revenue by 16%. That’s not bad, but it doesn’t hold a candle to the 106% growth Nvidia delivered during its last quarterly earnings report. But I don’t think that’s the point.
Apple hasn’t gone all-in on AI like some of its peers have. In fact, its capital expenditures have fallen in recent quarters.
AAPL Capital Expenditures (TTM) data by YCharts
Over the past 12 months, Apple’s capital…
