Financial

Apple's market cap tops $300 billion

Giving ExxonMobil a run for its money in the race to be the world's most valuable company

In a broad 2011 rally that pushed the Dow up nearly a point in mid-morning trading Monday, Apple (AAPL) popped more than $7 (2.25%) to hit new record intraday highs -- and to cross a major psychological barrier.

The company's market capitalization -- its stock price times the number of shares outstanding -- is now MORE

Apple hits a new all-time high

Apple (AAPL) broke through resistance levels in mid-day trading Wednesday to hit $325.72, a new all-time intraday high. Its closing price -- $325.16, up $0.96 (0.29%) for the day -- was also a new record.

With seven trading days left this year, the stock is up 54.3% so far in 2010.

[Follow Philip Elmer-DeWitt on Twitter @philiped]

How Apple's profits grew 70%

Asymco's Horace Dediu describes his latest graphic as "Apple's growth, cost structure, product-level and overall profitability in a self-explanatory chart," although judging from our experience and his readers' comments, the chart is not totally self-explanatory.

Today in Tech: Nokia working on Windows Phone 7?

A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web.

Today, the FCC votes on Internet regulations that would mandate that companies treat all kind of Web content equally -- though as they are now, the rules would not apply to wireless data. Venture capitalist and former California State Controller Steve Westly explained why the net neutrality proposal announced by FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski is a must-have. (CNN MORE

Steve Jobs is the No. 4 'wealth creator'

Apple's CEO moved up 31 places in Chief Executive magazine's 2010 ranking

Only Priceline's (PCLN) Jeffrey Boyd, Aflac's (AFL) Daniel Amos and Federated Investors' (FII) Christopher Donahue created more wealth in 2010 than Apple's (AAPL) Steve Jobs, according to Chief Executive's third annual ranking of 338 U.S. CEOs.

The magazine's wealth creation index leans heavily on the concept of economic margin -- defined as (operating cash flow - capital charge)/invested capital -- MORE

How 2010 tech changed retail forever

A long time coming, the combined efforts of major players and successful startups have irrevocably changed the way consumers shop.

In the tech world, 2010 will be remembered for a few newsworthy events. The iPad launched last spring and took tablets mainstream. In August, sales of Android devices trumped iPhone sales for the first time. And just several weeks ago, the industry eagerly witnessed Google's (GOOG) jaw-dropping (and rejected) bid for Groupon.

Behind MORE

Today in Tech: Yahoo products RIP, Oracle beats Street

A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web.

Hot on the heels of layoffs comes news that Yahoo is shutting down eight products, including MyBlogLog, Yahoo! Picks, AltaVista, Yahoo! Bookmarks, Yahoo! Buzz and Delicious. Meanwhile, other products like Fire Eagle and Yahoo People Search will be merged, and Yahoo! Alerts and Yahoo! Calendar will be turned into features which will presumably be implemented elsewhere. MORE

$1 billion here, a million iPads there

Holiday sales and Verizon iPhone rumors force analysts to revisit their Apple estimates

The analysts who track Apple (AAPL) typically revise their estimates -- usually upward -- shortly before the company reports its quarterly earnings. But rumors that Verizon (VZ) might be stockpiling iPhones, and reports that Apple products are selling more briskly than expected this holiday season, have forced many to show their hands a few weeks early.

This week, several MORE

Today in Tech: Yahoo layoff details, Facebook, and iAds

A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web.

"Chrome OS will be killed next year (or "merged" with Android). ... Chrome OS has no purpose that isn't better served by Android (perhaps with a few mods to support a non-touch display)." -- Gmail creator Paul Buchheit (Boy Genius Report and TechCrunch)

Unfortunately, Yahoo finally made good on all those layoff rumors by cutting roughly 600 jobs, MORE

Today in Tech: Yahoo layoffs today, Verizon iPhone, Windows 8

A curated selection of the day's most newsworthy tech stories from all over the Web.

Seems TechCrunch's report late last week regarding early Yahoo layoffs may have been premature and inaccurate. (See below.) According to All Things D, the layoffs at the Internet company actually start today, with many, but not necessarily all, of the 650 to 700 cuts coming from Yahoo's product division. (AllThingsD)
Microsoft may announce several tablet PCs from MORE