Xin Lang Cai Jing·2026-01-08 16:21Group 1 - Alphabet has officially surpassed Apple to become the second most valuable company globally, with a market capitalization of $3.89 trillion compared to Apple's $3.85 trillion [1][3] - On Thursday, Alphabet's market cap increased to $3.9 trillion, while Apple's market cap fell to $3.8 trillion due to a nearly 2% drop in its stock price [1][3] - Alphabet has transformed from a declining internet giant to a leading innovator in the artificial intelligence sector, establishing a competitive edge against agile rivals like OpenAI [1][3] Group 2 - In 2025, Alphabet was the best-performing stock among the "Big Seven" tech giants, with a 65% increase, followed by Nvidia at 39% [2][4] - Analysts expect Alphabet to continue being a leading stock performer in 2026 [2][4] - Apple is facing challenges with executive departures and has yet to prove itself as a leader in the AI field, despite launching some AI-related technologies [5] Group 3 - Despite surpassing Apple, Alphabet's market cap of $4 trillion still lags behind Nvidia's $4.5 trillion [5] - In 2026, Alphabet must demonstrate how its AI technology stack will drive revenue growth, as investor focus shifts to substantial returns from investments in servers and data centers [5] - The success of Alphabet's Gemini model is seen as a positive indicator, but the market is increasingly interested in practical applications and commercialization capabilities [5]