After having dethroned software giant Microsoft to emerge as the biggest US technology firm in terms of market cap in May 2010, Apple Tuesday overtook oil biggie Exxon Mobil to become the country’s most valuable company, based on the value of its stock.

At the close of trading in the US on Tuesday, Apple managed to outshine Exxon Mobil for the first time ever; and finally ended the day as the most valuable publicly-traded company by market capitalization.

Even though Tuesday, August 10, was an overall dismal day on the stock exchange, Apple ended trading with its stock priced at $363.69 per share for a total "market capitalization" of $337.2 billion.

In comparison, with ExxonMobil's stock price tumbling to $68.03 per share, the valuation of the international petroleum giant at the end of the day’s trading – during which its stock fell 4.4 percent - was $330.8 billion.

The key difference between Exxon - which had retained its position as the most valuable company since 2005 – and Apple as two different companies is that while the growth prospects of Exxon are quite limited, as it relies heavily on oil prices and new oil discovery; the growth prospects of Apple are immense, as it can continue to come up with new technology products!