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Apple has overtaken Nvidia to reclaim the title of the world's most valuable company, signalling a shift in investor sentiment as markets reassess the long-term winners of the artificial intelligence (AI) boom.

Apple's market capitalisation stood at approximately $4.88 trillion on Friday, while Nvidia slipped to around $4.86 trillion after its shares fell 3.5 per cent. The move marks Apple's return to the top spot for the first time since April last year.

The change reflects investors broadening their focus beyond companies directly benefiting from AI infrastructure spending, such as Nvidia, which had led global market valuations for nearly a year.

"Apple was viewed as a laggard in the AI race because it wasn't investing heavily in developing AI models, but that perception has changed," said Toni Meadows, Head of Investment at BRI Wealth Management, Reuters reported.

According to Meadows, investors now see Apple as better positioned to generate sustainable AI-driven earnings through its services ecosystem, hardware upgrades and customer loyalty rather than relying on heavy capital expenditure.

Apple's AI Strategy Gains Momentum

The milestone comes as Apple intensifies its AI push. Last month, the company unveiled a long-awaited overhaul of Siri, aiming to narrow the gap with rivals and AI-focused startups.

Analysts believe Apple's vast ecosystem of user data stored across millions of iPhones could become a significant competitive advantage, enabling a more personalised and capable Siri while maintaining the company's strong privacy standards.

The development also comes ahead of a major leadership transition, with Chief Executive Tim Cook expected to hand over the role to hardware chief John Ternus in September.

Nvidia Remains A Major AI Player

Although Apple has reclaimed the top position, analysts caution that Nvidia remains central to the AI revolution. The chipmaker's graphics processors continue to power much of the generative AI industry, and it could regain the top ranking if investor sentiment improves.

Nvidia became the world's first company to cross a $5 trillion market valuation in October, underscoring its dominance in AI hardware.

AI Rally Expands Beyond 'Magnificent Seven'

Investor enthusiasm has also spread beyond the biggest technology companies. Memory chipmakers have emerged as major beneficiaries of AI infrastructure spending.

Micron surpassed a $1 trillion market valuation in May, while South Korea's SK Hynix recently secured a Nasdaq listing, further intensifying competition for investor attention.

Analysts believe the AI investment theme is broadening beyond the so-called "Magnificent Seven" technology stocks to include a wider range of semiconductor companies.

However, the AI-driven rally has faced turbulence in recent weeks. The Philadelphia Semiconductor Index has fallen nearly 19 per cent from its all-time high as investors reassess the sustainability of the AI trade, although it continues to outperform Nvidia's stock performance so far this year.