Microsoft Leapfrogs Exxon

Energy giant Exxon has ceded its position as the world's second-largest public company to tech firm Microsoft, after concerns about the falling price of oil drove its shares down, BBC said. Exxon's shares traded at $94.90, reducing the total value of all its shares to $401.9b. Shares in Microsoft hit $49.81. That gives it a value of $410.5b.