*By Kavitha Shastry*
Amazon briefly joined the $1 trillion club Tuesday, becoming the second U.S. company to reach the milestone market cap in as many months.
The e-commerce giant saw shares rise to $2,050.50 just before noon, putting its valuation just about $100 billion behind Apple, which crossed the line a little over a month ago.
That may sound like a huge sum separating the two, but Amazon could actually surpass the iPhone maker in short order ー the stock's 74 percent gain this year is more than double that of Apple, and if shares of both companies keep the same pace, Amazon could close the gap by the end of the year.
Still, plenty of catalysts could affect the horse race ー investors will be closely watching Apple's big iPhone reveal next Wednesday, and the all-important holiday shopping season will be key for Amazon. Then, of course, there's Microsoft and Google parent Alphabet, both of which are gaining ground, with market caps of about $850 billion each.
But while Amazon's and Apple's runs created plenty of fanfare, they're not the first companies to hit the $1 trillion level. China Petroleum did so on the Hong Kong exchange back in 2007, but those shares have since plummeted, giving the one-time oil giant a current market cap of around $121 billion.
A handful of retailers will report earnings this week, including Home Depot, Target, Walmart and Macy's, as gas prices peaked in September to the end of this latest quarter while borrowing costs remain at their highest levels in decades.
Long-haul carrier Emirates opened the Dubai Air Show with a $52 billion purchase of Boeing Co. aircraft.
Krispy Kreme is giving out a dozen free original glazed donuts to the first 500 customers who visit participating stores for World Kindness Day.
'The Marvels' made just $47 million at the box office for its opening weekend.
The largest South American airline altered its travel policy because Taylor Swift was supposed to perform in Argentina's capital on Friday but moved the date to Sunday because of inclement weather.
Google's parent company Alphabet says it has dissolved its stake in Robinhood.
Stocks fell slightly in Monday's opening session after credit rating for the U.S. was downgraded on Friday.
Workers at 24 Ford production facilities in Kentucky have voted against a tentative labor agreement.
Thousands took to the streets in San Francisco to protest the kickoff of the Asia Pacific Economic Cooperations Summit.
Big Business This Week is a guided tour through the biggest market stories of the week, from winning stocks to brutal dips to the facts and forecasts generating buzz on Wall Street.
