Investing.com - Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) now has a larger market capitalization than Alphabet (NASDAQ:GOOGL), the parent company of Google, placing it third on the list of the 10 most valuable U.S. companies.Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) remains number one. Amazon (NASDAQ:AMZN), which passed both Microsoft and Alphabet earlier this year is, second.Microsoft shares have surged some 38% over the past year, thanks largely to its booming cloud computing business.Here are the market caps of the 10 largest U.S. companies and their stock price performance over the past 12 months. Apple has a large lead over Amazon, whose stock price has gained the most of the top 10 in the past 12 months. Facebook (NASDAQ:FB) is fifth.Berkshire Hathaway (NYSE:BRKa) is sixth. Johnson & Johnson (NYSE:JNJ) and Exxon Mobil (NYSE:XOM) are the only two in the top 10 to register a stock decline.
