Apple’s stock rose nearly six percent in midday trading according to the Mercury News. This put their individual stock price at $445.29 which put their market cap at $415 billion. Exxon’s share price was down one percet at $86.52 per share with a market cap of $414 billion.

The two companies have been battling all day back and forth for the top spot in market value. There has only been $1 billion standing between them for most of the day.

This new momentum for Apple has some shareholders hoping that Apple will use it massive reserves of cash to pay investors back in the form of a dividend. Reuters reports that Apple, which last paid a dividend in 1995, is “actively discussing” the cash balance but didn’t have anything to announce.

“We do believe the company should examine a meaningful dividend closely and are intrigued by the possibilities around any sizeable acquisitions that could improve its wireless and online services,” Barclays Capital wrote in a note to clients, according to Reuters.

Apple’s success has also improved the outlook for the company’s suppliers, Broadcom and TriQuint, according to Fox Business.

As of right now, Apple’s stocks are selling for $447.45 per share and Exxon’s are selling for $86.54 per share. Apple’s market value is staying steady at $415 billion and Exxon’s is staying at $414 billion.

The prices can and will fluctuate over the day, but we can call it as of now that Apple is once again the number one most valuable company in the world.

The Houston Chronicle had a surprise not just for Exxon’s PR crew, but also for ExxonMobilCorp‘s (aka Janet’s) 361 followers on Twitter. The person who’d been tweeting for the company and replying to messages on behalf of it was not on Exxon’s payroll.

She wasn’t a malicious presence. Janet had only nice things to say, tweeting about Exxon’s charitable efforts in Africa and Indonesia, cheering on Obama’s new openness to off-shore drilling, and announcing support of "McCain’s tax break."

Well, duh on that last one. Why would someone fake a big company’s Twitter account? Why did people stand in line for "The Dark Knight" or buy scalped tickets when all they had to do was wait until the next day? Sometimes, there is no good reason for anything.

Communications expert Shel Holtz noticed a red flag or two before the Houston Chronicle got hold of the news. Specifically, an expert communicator wouldn’t downplay a disaster like the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989; the background of Janet’s Twitter account featured photos of Exxon gas stations, which the company officially plans to sell.

"The Janet incident should make it painfully clear just how easy it is for somebody to step in and represent your organization with inaccurate and even damaging information using these very channels," wrote Holtz.

Forrester’s Jeremiah Owyang was also early discovering Exxon had been "brand jacked," and bemoaned the lack of ability to confirm true social media profiles. In addition to companies closely monitoring their brands, Owyang suggested Exxon step forward with their own social media presence and that the community be employed to confirm identities in some way.