Apple shares climbed to an all-time high on Wednesday, pushing the iPhone maker’s market capitalisation above $5 trillion as stocks rallied after a Democratic sweep of the mid-term elections. Most sectors traded higher across the board.

Microsoft also set a fresh record, rising 6% during the session. The technology sector bounced broadly, helping lift the Nasdaq Composite more than 2%. The Dow jumped about 1,100 points, also around 2%.

Not every name moved up at first. Shares of SpaceX and Tesla initially fell on concerns about regulatory hurdles for the AI data centre buildout, after Democrats took control of both the House and the Senate. Those losses narrowed as the wider market pushed higher through the morning.

Oil prices extended their slide amid growing hopes for a diplomatic resolution to the war in the Middle East. Brent crude futures dropped more than 2% to around $100 per barrel, while WTI also fell, holding above $93 per barrel.

Apple’s record run had been building for some time. The stock closed up 3.9% at $262.24 on Monday, its highest close ever, after a rally that had already lifted it past Microsoft as one of the world’s most valuable companies. Earlier in the year, Apple had reached an all-time high of $260.10 per share.

Microsoft has its own recent peak for comparison. Its highest closing price on record was $543.45, reached on 13th October 2026.

Other stocks drawing attention from readers on Wednesday morning included CVS Health, McDonald’s and Uber.