Seattle, Oct 15: Microsoft overtook General Electric as the world's top company by market value earlier this month and has held on to that position for a week, based on Monday's closing stock prices. Microsoft, the world's largest software maker, had a market capitalisation of $262.9 billion compared with GE's market value of $240.9 billion on Monday, according to exchange data.

Microsoft and GE, which started to trade places for the top spot in 1998, have been neck-to-neck in terms of market value for much of this year.

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Redmond, Washington-based Microsoft has lost about a quarter of its value this year, but shares in GE have fallen by nearly 40 per cent as the conglomerate tries to cope with slower growth.

GE closed up 14 cents, or just over half a per cent, at $24.35 on Monday, extending a rally that began Friday after the company announced strong third-quarter results.

Shares in Microsoft, which will announce results for the September quarter on Thursday, closed at $49.29, up 42 cents, or 0.86 per cent.

Wal-Mart Stores was the third-largest company by value with a market capitalisation of $238.1 billion, while No. 4 Exxon Mobil was worth $233.4 billion. Bureau Report