Meta Has Added $200B in Market Cap Friday. Let’s Put That in Perspective

As of midday Friday, Meta (META) shares were up more than 20%, adding $208 billion to its market capitalization. If the firm can hold on to those gains, it will post the largest ever one-day jump in market value. 

To put that in perspective: 

• America’s five largest airlines—Delta (DAL), Southwest (LUV), United (UAL), American (AAL), and Alaska (ALK)—have a combined market value of about $71 billion. The world’s 20 largest airlines are cumulatively valued at $210 billion. 
• America’s five largest homebuilders—D.R. Horton (DHI), Lennar (LEN), NVR (NVR), Pultegroup (PHM), and Toll Brothers (TOL)—are valued at $148 billion.
• Starbucks (SBUX) and Airbnb (ABNB)—America’s 87th and 103rd most valuable companies, respectively—have a combined market cap of about $200 billion.
• Only 33 companies in the S&P 500—excluding Meta—have a market cap larger than its gains today.

Before today, Apple (AAPL) held the record for the largest single-day gain. It added $190.9 billion in market cap on Nov. 10, 2022, after a better-than-expected inflation report sent U.S. equities soaring. 

Rounding out the top three is Amazon (AMZN), which tacked on $190.8 billion on Feb. 4, 2022, after an upbeat quarterly earnings report.